Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter
by Tardis19
Summary: On Hiatus: Bella Swan, vampire hunter. It sounded silly even to her, but that's what she was. She'd made it her mission to kill the vampires that had hurt her friends, and she finds herself getting help from the most unlikeliest of sources. A vampire named Edward Cullen. Can she overcome her hatred of vampires and learn to trust him?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: S.M. owns it. Damn her!

A/N: Hello, hello! Welcome to my newest story. Actually, I have two new B/E stories, but this one is getting posted first, and I'll try and post every Saturday. The chapters in this story won't be as long as those in my past stories. And no, this isn't a drabble fic. I can't handle those. My usual chapter length is anywhere between 5 and 7 thousand words, these chapters will most likely be between 2 and 3 thousand. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

**"I was beginning to get a little paranoid. Or maybe realistic was a better word."~ Anita Blake**

* * *

There were some days where I felt like Harry Potter. With the exception that I wasn't a boy, a wizard, grew up in cupboard, or had an evil-who-can't-be-named wizard after me. But there were days where I felt that I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. While Harry had had the responsibility of saving the wizarding world from Voldemort, I had the responsibility of saving the human race from vampires. It was a big responsibility; one I'd taken upon myself.

Six months ago, I hadn't believed in vampires. But the day after I graduated high school that all changed. I'd grown up with my mother and step-father in Jacksonville, Florida. A nice place with lots of sun. I'd graduated top of my class, had a ton of friends, and a wonderful boyfriend. I'd been accepted to Florida State University and was more than ready to start a new chapter in my life. It was all taken from me in a matter of minutes.

My friends and I had gone hiking in a national park not far from Jacksonville. We'd stumbled upon a lake with a waterfall and agreed to stop and take a dip. Thirty minutes later, we'd heard a rustling in the trees and had looked up to see three people emerge from the forest. The minute I had seen them, I had known something was off. They had been heartbreakingly beautiful. Two of them had skin that was practically translucent and had seemed to sparkle, while the third had skin so dark it almost seemed blue. But what had bothered me the most was that their eyes had been red. And I mean red.

My friends had seemed oblivious to the danger that I had felt. They'd even invited them to join us, and I'd watched in horror as they'd agreed. One second the three of them had been on one side of the lake, and the next they had been in front of us. Their red eyes had glowed, and they each had had a cruel smile on their faces. There was a moment when everyone had realized something was wrong, and then all hell had broken loose. The dark skinned man had attacked my boyfriend, Ryan. His hand had wrapped around Ryan's neck, squeezing it, before he had bent his head and had ripped Ryan's throat out. Blood had gone everywhere and screams had echoed throughout the forest.

I'd been so focused on Ryan that I had failed to notice the other man that had approached me. He'd grabbed me and tossed me in the air as if I had been a rag doll. I'd screamed in pain as I had landed on my leg and felt it snap. The man had stalked toward me, the way a predator would toward its prey. He'd grabbed my wrist and sunk his teeth into it. I'd felt a horrible burning sensation as if my body had been lit on fire. I'd screamed and screamed until darkness had taken over.

I'd woken up in the hospital three weeks later. My mom, my step-dad and my father had all been at my side. They'd told me that my friends and I had been attacked by wild animals, and that my friends had died while I had sustained life threatening injuries. I'd told them they were wrong. That it hadn't been animals, but three people. Two men and a woman, but they hadn't believed me. I'd remained in the hospital for two months and had been made to talk to a grief counselor. He'd told me that I had been suffering from survivor's guilt, and that my mind had been trying to rationalize what had happened. It had gotten to the point where I had just agreed with whatever he had said.

After I had been released from the hospital, my mother had insisted that I wait on going to college. She and Phil, my step-father, had felt that I wasn't ready. So, I'd lingered around our house.

One afternoon, after having been bored out of my fucking mind, I'd gone on the Internet and attempted to find out what had attacked me. I had known they were human or at least humanoid, but beyond that I had no idea. I opened up Google and typed in red eyes and sparkling skin. My search hadn't brought up much, but it had brought up a site about vampires. Something had told me to click on it, so I had.

The site had told of vampires that could walk during the day. It had mentioned that their skin would sparkle when the sun would hit it, and that they had red eyes. I had known in that instance that the people that had attacked us has been vampires. I had quickly scrolled through the site looking for clues on how to hunt them. It had proved fruitless.

I'd spent the next few weeks searching for anything and everything on vampires. But I still hadn't found any information on hunting them down. So I had done the only thing I could do. I'd started asking around Jacksonville, to see if any one had seen the three people. Just when I had been at my rope's end, I'd gotten lucky. A local drunk had informed me that he'd seen the two men one night in the alley when he'd been taking a piss. He had told me that he'd overheard them talking about going to Washington state. That had been the lead I had been looking for.

Later that night, I had called my father, Charlie, and asked him if I could move in with him. He lived in Forks, Washington, and that would get me one step closer to hunting the bastards down. He'd readily agreed. I had sat down with Mom and Phil and explained that I was going to go live with Charlie. They had both been surprisingly supportive of my decision. Mom had printed off information regarding Peninsula College in Port Angeles, which wasn't far from Forks. I'd told her that I would think about going to college.

* * *

"Hey, Bells!" Charlie called when he spotted me as I walked into the waiting area at the airport.

"Hey, Ch—Dad," I replied as we gave each other awkward hugs.

The drive from Seattle to Forks was about three hours and it was spent mostly in silence. Something I was glad for. Unlike Mom, Charlie didn't feel the need to fill the silence with endless and mindless chatter.

Three hours later, we pulled into the drive of Charlie's house. Grabbing my little bit of luggage, Charlie unlocked the house and hauled my stuff upstairs. I let out a small gasp when I saw my room.

"Oh, yeah. I—uh, had someone come in and change it up a bit. You're almost nineteen, and this room hadn't changed since you were six."

"Thanks, Dad. It's great!" I told him, and it really was.

Within a week, we had fallen into a routine. Charlie worked early in the morning until about six in the evenings, so that left me with plenty of free time. I cleaned the house, did the grocery shopping, and cooked dinner. I spent the rest of my time reading and gathering Intel on vampires. I soon had three notebooks full of information. Information that I needed to sort through. There were so many sites dedicated to vampires and they all had conflicting information. Most of the sites stated that vampires slept during the day, which I knew to be a myth. Made me wonder what else regarding vampires was a myth.

The next week crawled by, and I was starting to go stir crazy. I asked Charlie if he knew of any jobs in the area, and he'd pointed me toward Newton's Outfitters. Borrowing Charlie's old truck, I drove into town to apply for a position. Within minutes, I'd been offered a job as stock girl/check out girl, and I took it. It was only twenty-five hours a week, but it would get me out of the house.

Charlie was thrilled that I had a job, especially when I told him I was saving to go to college. In truth, I was saving so that I could fund my vampire hunt. I also asked Charlie if he would teach me to shoot. He gladly agreed.

My vampire hunt hadn't been going very well. I was at a dead end, but I wasn't giving up. I was just biding my time until something came my way.

One evening I was driving back from Port Angeles when Charlie's old truck died as well as my cell. _Fucking figured. _Getting out, I started trecking down the road, remembering that I'd passed a driveway a ways back. A mile later, I found the driveway, but a strange tingling on my neck prevented me from walking down it. The tickling kept getting stronger, and my wrist started to throb. That could only mean one thing. Vampires.

My heart sped up as did my breathing, and it took everything in me not to panic. _There were vampires in Forks! _My mind was racing with questions. Where they the same vampires from Florida or were they different ones? And then a new question arose. Just how many vampires were out there? I started to feel slightly sick and lightheaded as I quickly turned and made my way back down the road.

I made it back to the truck and climbed in, praying that someone would stop by. My prayers were answered twenty minutes later when a yellow sports car pulled up behind me. I watched as a short young woman with dark hair climbed out. She tapped on the window, and I unrolled it, feeling slightly uneasy.

"Hi!" she said in bubbly voice. "Did you need some help?"

I just stared. My breath had caught in my throat and panic was becoming a real possibility. She was on of _them_. I could feel it. Her skin was almost translucent, but her eyes were a strange shade of amber.

Her strange eyes glazed over for a moment before she let out a gasp. She backed away from me slowly, telling me she'd call a tow truck, before she climbed back in her car and headed in the direction of the driveway up the road. I just sat there in stunned silence.

A little while later, a tow truck appeared, and I was given a ride back to Charlie's. He was frantic with worry and yelled at me for going out without charging my phone first. I agreed it was stupid and promised to carry a phone charger with me from then on. I spent the rest of the week being paranoid. I kept expecting that little vampire to show up and attack me, but so far she hadn't. It set me on edge. Perhaps she was biding her time; toying with me. Either way, it had me jumping at every shadow and constantly look over my shoulder.

A month passed and no one had come after me, but I refused to let my guard down. That was probably what she was waiting for. Lulling me into a false sense of security and then** bam**! She'd come after me. While she could certainly try, but I would be ready for her. I'd been working my ass off at the shooting range and had gotten Charlie to teach me how to properly throw knives. If he was aware of my increasing paranoia, he never let on. He just saw it as a way to help his daughter better protect herself. Especially, since some people had gone missing in Port Angeles. I wanted to tell him that chances were good they were dead. Drained by vampires, but I kept my mouth shut and told him that I wanted to be able to defend myself.

I was right about the little vampire biding her time. I was working the closing shift at Newton's when she walked in with a tall young man. He had the same amber colored eyes that she had, and I knew by looking at him, that he was vampire as well.

"Hello, Bella!" she chimed as if we were the best of friends.

I froze. Fear paralyzing me that she knew my name. They walked over to me as I quickly scanned the area looking for a way out. Realistically, I knew that even if I could make it to the door, they were faster. And stronger.

"Don't be afraid," she said. "We're not here to hurt you."

_Yeah, right._ Like I was going to believe that. I edged away from them, slowly trying to make way around the counter.

"Please, don't run. I swear to you, we don't mean you any harm."

She could swear all she wanted, it wouldn't mean shit. She was a vampire and wasn't to be trusted. I'd be damned if I sat around waiting to be her dinner. My fear and panic was rising to an all time high, when I was suddenly hit with a wave of calm. It was a strange and unnatural feeling. One of them was doing that to me.

"Stop it!" I hissed. "Whatever you're doing to me, fucking stop it. Don't fucking toy with me. Just kill me and get it the fuck over with."

"Silly, Bella. We don't want to kill you," the small one said.

"Then let me leave!"

She put on a pout, but finally nodded her head. "We'll see you again soon," she said as they walked out the door.

Scrambling, I closed up Newton's and raced home. I had to leave. Chances were good they knew where I lived, and I couldn't risk Charlie's life. I packed up my stuff, including a couple of the knives he'd taught me to use and one of the guns with plenty of ammo. I scribbled him a note, telling him I needed some time to think and that I'd call him as soon as I could. I grabbed my backpack and duffel bag and headed into the woods. Going on foot seemed the safest bet. I knew if Charlie found me, I'd be in for it.

Sticking to the woods closest to the road, I followed it north. Heading toward the driveway that I'd found when the truck had died. I had a plan. It wasn't a great plan or a well thought out one, but it was a plan. I needed to take out the little vampire and her friend. It scared me knowing that they were so close to town and had no problem entering shops where unsuspecting humans were.

I moved slowly, giving my eyes time to adjust to the darkness. I wasn't the most graceful of persons to begin with, but add in the dark and the woods, and I was a stumbling mess.

I was still a bit away from the driveway when I heard rustling in the trees. I froze, flattening myself against a tree and waited. The moonlight lit up a bit of the forest, and I saw three figures moving slowly. It was them! The ones who had attacked me and my friends.

"Do you smell that?" the woman asked, and I held my breath.

It hadn't even occurred to me that they could smell me and most likely hear me. _Stupid, Bella. _ I silently berated myself as I stood as still as possible.

"It smells so good," a man moaned, causing me to wrinkle my nose in disgust at the lust in his voice.

"Yeah, it does. It almost smells familiar," another voice said.

"You're right. It reminds me of that girl in Florida. She tasted so sweet," the first man said.

Quietly, I stepped back, trying to further myself from them when I stepped on a branch that snapped. _Fuck! _I knew that I'd been heard, so I grabbed the gun from my waist and turned the safety off. I had no idea if bullets would work on vampires, but I prayed that it would at least slow them down a bit.

I steadied my arm and put my finger on the trigger. I waited for a moment, not wanting to give myself away. Just as the two of the vampires came into view, a hand covered my mouth, and an arm wrapped around my waist. I let out a muffled shriek as I was lifted off the ground and carried away. I struggled fruitlessly against my abductor but to no avail. Using all my strength, I tried hitting him and felt my hand break as it contacted with what felt like marble. I let out a howl of pain from behind the hand.

"Stop struggling or you'll hurt yourself worse," he growled at me.

_Fucking bastard!_ I let myself go limp, hoping he'd fall for my trick and let me go, but he didn't. Moments later we were heading toward a large house. I was beyond terrified. He opened the door and carried me inside, dropping me on a cloth covered sofa.

"We meet again, Bella Swan," a female voice said from behind me.

_Well, fuck._

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a/n: Well, there we go. Chapter 1 is done. Let me know what you thought. Did you like it? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Leave me some feedback! BTW, I totally broke my backspace button while writing this chapter. Probably, because I rewrote this chapter several times before I finished it.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since I first posted. It's still not mine.

A/N: Thanks to those that reviewed. Here's hoping that this story takes off and appeals to my readers. I know I said I'd be updating every Saturday, but I managed to get this written today, so thought I'd post it. Why not?

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**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

"**To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you." Buffy Summers**

* * *

I turned around so that I was facing the voice that had spoken to me. It belonged to the tiny vampire who had shown up at Newton's. I narrowed my eyes and gave her a glare.

"What the fuck do you want?" I hissed out.

"To warn you of the dangers you are facing," she said, coming to sit down near me.

I scooted further down the couch away from her while cradling my arm to my chest.

"I'm well aware of the danger that I'm facing. I'm not a complete fucking idiot!" I spat out.

"If you go after them, you'll die."

I shrugged. I'd kinda figured that part out. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. "What's your point?"

She let out a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're not going to change your mind no matter what, are you?"

"No."

Throwing her hands up in the air, she stalked off to a corner of the room. I didn't particularly care. I wanted to leave.

"May I see your hand?" a warm voice said from nearby.

I quickly stood up and backed away until I could see all the people in the room. The room was dark, but I could make out six of them. Six of them versus one of me. The odds were not in my favor. I scanned the area looking for the quickest way out, only to realize that the windows behind me would be my best route. I really didn't want to go through the window. Glass was not my friend, and I didn't do so well with blood.

"Please," the man said, coming toward me. "It's broken and needs to be set."

"What are you? A doctor?" I sarcastically asked.

"Yes," he replied, completely serious.

I was appalled. A vampire working as a doctor amongst unsuspecting humans. "Free food, huh?"

He shook his head. "No. We don't feed on humans."

"Bullshit! I've seen what your kind do. You can destroy lives in a matter of seconds. Ripping out throats, tearing limbs apart. Don't stand there and tell me you don't fucking feed on humans! I've seen it!" I yelled at him.

Then I felt that heavy wave of calm come over me, and it only served to piss me off further. Whoever the fuck was trying to mess with me was going to be in for a world of hurt as soon as I figured out how to do that. I swung my gaze around the room and landed on the vampire that had been with the small one.

"Back the fuck off!" I growled at him. "Stop fucking with my emotions!"

Immediately, I felt the calm leave me, and I was back to being pissed off and scared. It kept me on edge which was good. It wouldn't do to get comfortable and let my guard down.

"Bella," the vampire in front of me began. "Some vampires do drink human blood. However, we do not. We have chosen a different lifestyle. We choose to live off the blood of animals that way we can integrate with society."

I opened my mouth to make a remark, but he held up a hand to silence me. I wanted him to hurry up and say whatever it was he wanted to say because I needed to leave. I had three vampires to hunt down, and the people in front of me were causing me to lose the trail. Then a thought occurred to me. Maybe it was part of a plan. Stall me long enough so that the three killers could get away. Anger bubbled to the surface stronger than before.

"Look, _doc_. I don't have time to stand here and listen to you babble on. I have three murderers to catch and kill. So say what you have to say."

He took a deep breath before giving me a calculating look. "Fine. I don't know what you know about vampires, but you must know that we are fast and hard to kill. Shooting one of us won't do you any good. It won't even slow one of us down. We're bullet proof. And your knives will be useless. Our skin is as hard as marble. In other words, Bella Swan. You have no chance of catching or killing them."

I refused to give in to defeat. I would find a way to hunt them down and kill them no matter what.

"That isn't going to stop me from trying," I told him.

Shaking his head, he walked away, mumbling quietly. I glanced at my watch, squinting to read the time, and realized that it was really late. I needed to leave.

"Here," the man who had grabbed me said, handing me my bag. He was a giant ass motherfucker and looked as if he could tear me in half. Hell, he could.

I snatched my bag from him. "I'll warn you right now. If you even think about hurting a human, I'll be back," I warned him.

He nodded, then lead me toward the door. "Get your hand looked at. If it is broken, you can't afford for the bones to heal on their own. If they do, your hand won't function properly."

I couldn't figure out why I heard real concern in his voice, but it was there. It confused me, and I didn't want his compassion. I just nodded, then headed back into the dark.

* * *

I'd been on the hunt for a week. I'd stopped and gotten my hand set at a free clinic in Port Angeles. I'd disappeared as soon as the cast was on. I'd found myself down by the docks when my wrist startling tingling. I headed toward the ticket station for the ferry to Canada and asked the man behind the counter if he'd seen anyone matching the description of the three vamps I was looking for. He hadn't, but I felt that I was on the right track so I bought a ticket.

I'd taken a ferry from Port Angeles to Sooke, British Columbia, but I was hunting blindly. I had no idea where they might have gone. It was pretty much a wild goose chase, and I was getting more and more discouraged.

I'd made camp for the night in the woods outside of Sooke, when I was awakened by a noise. There was no point in putting out my small campfire, but I grabbed my bag and weapons and ducked behind a tree. I watched as a man approached my camp. The fire glowed brightly enough that I could get a good look at him.

There was no question that he was a vampire, but he had the same colored eyes as the vampires that I'd met in Forks. The ones who claimed to drink animal blood. I had to hold back a gasp as I really looked at him. He was beautiful. Something I was sure that he used to his advantage.

"I can smell and hear you, you know," he said in voice made of velvet.

I kept silent, pressing myself further against the tree. I held the knife in my hand in a death grip. I wasn't afraid to use it, but I didn't want to give away exactly where I was.

"Look. I didn't come here to hurt you. I came to help you hunt those that you seek," he told me, and I almost believed him. There was something so convincing in his voice.

"Why would you do that?" I whispered from my spot.

He let out a harsh laugh. "I have history with them. Particularly, James."

I didn't know who James was, but I assumed it was one of the vampires that I was hunting. I spent a good few minutes going back and forth on whether or not to let him help me. It could be a ruse, but at the same time, I needed all the help I could get.

"You might as well come out from behind that tree you're hiding behind," he said from beside me, startling the shit out of me. I hadn't even heard him move, much less noticed him until he had spoken. If they could all do that, then I would be in some serious shit.

I didn't like that he was so close to me, so I moved toward the fire and sat down in front of it. He sat down opposite of me, keeping his unnerving gaze on me.

"How did you know I was hunting them?" I asked.

"Carlisle told me."

"Who?"

He gave me a small smile, and I felt tingles erupt over my skin. I fought back my reaction, not wanting him to see how much he affected me.

"Carlisle Cullen. My father, for lack of a better word. He's the head of the Cullen family in Forks."

"Oh. The doc. So, he sent you out here to, what exactly? Stall me? Lead me in the wrong direction? Kill me?"

"None of the above. Like I said. I have a beef with James. I'm here to volunteer my help."

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't sure I believed him, but nothing told me he was lying. Granted, he could be using some sort of vampire mind tricks on me.

"So, the doc told you I was going after these vamps, and you just decided to jump on board and help me?"

"Pretty much. Carlisle is against me doing so, but honestly, little girl, you're going to need all the help you can get. James is a tracker. He can find almost anyone and that could be very bad for you if he decides to come after you."

"I've survived him once. I'll survive him again," I told him.

"What do you mean?"

"He attacked me. Bit me on the wrist," I said, holding my wrist up.

In a flash he was kneeling before me, my wrist in his cold hand. He traced a finger over the scar and goosebumps erupted over my skin.

"How in the world did you not change?" he asked quietly.

"No idea," I said just as quietly, trying not to stare at him.

He let go of my wrist and held out a hand. "Edward Cullen."

Tentatively, I took his hand, and we both let out a gasp as we touched. It was as if I'd touched a live wire.

"Uh... Bella Swan," I said, before yanking my hand away.

"So what did this James guy do to you?" I asked.

"He killed someone I cared about. I've been tracking him for years, but he's good. Always managing to slip through my fingers."

"He's got two others with him. A black guy with dreads and a redheaded woman," I informed him.

We spent the next few hours making plans to hunt down the group. It was strange. My gut was telling me to trust him, but my mind was telling me it was all a trick. That he was going to play games with me, then kill me. Honestly though, I was at the point where it didn't matter. I needed help, and he was offering.

I fell asleep at around eleven and was woken up at around six by Edward.

"We need to get going. I've got a lead."

I rubbed my eyes while my brain tried to focus on what he'd said. "How did you get a lead?"

"Let's just say my sister can see things, and she saw James and the other two deciding to hang around a small town about ninety miles north of here."

"Your sister? The annoying, little vampire?"

He snorted. "Yeah, that's her. Now, let's go."

I rolled up my sleeping bag, shoved my feet into my shoes, and grabbed my bag. A couple of miles later, we hit a road.

"My car's down this way," Edward told me.

_His car?_ Well, that certainly made things easier. Of course, there was a niggling voice in my brain that was telling me not to get in a car with a stranger. I countered, telling the voice that I sure as hell didn't feel like walking for ninety miles. And the fact that I was hearing voices wasn't helping my situation at all.

A mile later, we approached a nice looking Volvo. It struck me as funny that a vampire drove a car. It just seemed so – human. Unlocking the doors, he gestured for me to get in. I let out a little sigh as I slid onto the leather seat. His car still had that new car smell, and I took a moment to enjoy it.

Just as he slid behind the wheel, his phone rang.

"Yeah?"

He listened for a few moments then hung up. He turned to look at me and told me there was a change of plans.

"They're on the move. They've made the decision to head to Alaska."

I had to admit I was bit unnerved by his sister's superpowers or whatever they were.

"So, your sister can see the future?"

He shook his head as he pulled the car onto the road. "Not really. Alice can only see when someone has made a decision, and James has decided to head to Alaska. I'm assuming the other two will follow him."

"She doesn't know?"

"No. She can only see decision of people she's met."

I was quiet after that. Three hours into our drive, I was starving and my stomach gave a loud grumble letting it's displeasure be known. Immediately, Edward pulled off the main road and headed for a fast food joint. I could barely hear him muttering under his breath about having to feed the human. It was quite annoying.

"Look, buddy! You're the one that wanted in on this, so don't start bitching," I snapped.

He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before he apologized. He told me he wasn't used to being in such proximity with a human. That didn't reassure me at all. I had a feeling the trip to Alaska was going to be interesting. Only I couldn't decide if that was good or bad.

We spent the next day in silence. I quickly learned that he didn't need to sleep or use the bathroom, or any other mundane "human" things. He spent a lot of time bitching about my human moments under his breath, and I was ready to push him out of the car.

"How far until Alaska?" I asked.

"A day at the most. We'll be stopping by my extended family's house. See if they've heard anything."

I raised an eyebrow at the revelation. "Oh, we will, will we? Nice of you to ask me if that was what I wanted to do."

He turned his gaze toward me, and I bit back a gasp at the black that had taken over.

"Don't push me, little girl. We're doing this my way. I know how vampires operate, especially James."

His eyes and tone were frightening, so I quickly shut my mouth and focused my gaze on the scenery flying by. We stopped to get me something to eat and to let me use the bathroom, before we got back on the road. All of it done in silence. Leaning my head against the headrest, I could feel myself starting to fall asleep. I fought to keep my eyes open, but I eventually fell into a restless sleep.

"We're here," his voice said softly near my ear. I let out a shiver at feeling his breath against my skin, but did my best to act like it had affected me.

I climbed out of the car and noticed that we were deep in the forest. The house that loomed before us was a giant ass log cabin. I knew it was full of vampires. My scar tingled, and a feeling of unease swept over me. _Son of a bitch! _He'd led me into the dragon's lair, and I'd let him. I was a fucking idiot. I whirled around to confront him, but he wasn't there. There was nothing but complete and utter silence, and it scared me more than I wished to admit.

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A/n: As always, let me know what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do own all the books in the Anita Blake series.

A/N: This chapter didn't come easily. Both Bella and Edward being stubborn and didn't want to cooperate. Jerks! On a happier note, the host of Destination Truth, Josh Gates, tweeted about a deal that I posted for the company I work for. So that made me feel super cool for a few minutes.

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

**"If I was on the right track, I'd attract attention soon. Which meant someone might try to kill me. Wouldn't that be fun?" Anita Blake**

* * *

I whirled around trying not to let the panic take over. I knew that things had been going too well. I mean, seriously. Wasn't it a bit convenient that a vampire just happened to offer his help? A vampire who claimed to have a vendetta against one of the vampires I was hunting? The bastard had fucking set me up! Well, I was damned if I was going to wait around and be vampire food.

I climbed back into the car to grab my stuff when I noticed that he'd left the keys in the ignition. Climbing over the console, I slid behind the wheel, turned the key, and pressed my foot to the gas. I accelerated, hearing the engines roar with the force. The tires spun as I sped down the unpaved driveway, and the a figure jumped in front of the car. I swerved to avoid hitting the person and lost control of the car, slamming into a tree. My whole body was jerked around and the airbags came exploding out, knocking the wind out of me.

"Fucking hell! I loved that car!" I heard a voice roar from somewhere outside.

I was too stunned to move. The airbag deflated, leaving my face a mess. I was bruised, bleeding, and ached all over. I registered the sound of the door opening, and then rough hands were pulling me out of the car. All I could think about was that I was bleeding and surrounded by vampires. I was an all-you-can-eat buffet laid out for them.

"You little idiot!" I heard Edward growl out.

I tried to defend myself, but found I couldn't form a coherent sentence to save my life.

"Hey! Open your eyes. Let me know that you're still alive," he demanded.

_God, he was so fucking pushy. _I struggled to obey, but I finally manged to crack an eye open. He was staring down at me, anger written all over his face.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

I had to swallow a few times before I could speak. "You tricked me. Left me alone to be vampire food," I rasped out.

"You idiot! I didn't trick you and leave you for food. They're vegetarians like me," he explained.

"Stopping calling me names!" I managed to get out, irritated with him.

He let out a heavy sigh. "I apologize. Let's get you inside and cleaned up."

He carried me effortlessly into the house, where I was set down on a couch and a towel was pressed against my cuts.

"Sorry about jumping in front of the car like that," a voice to left said.

I turned my head and found an older man looking at me.

"I'm Eleazar," he said. "This is my wife, Carmen. And these three ladies are, Tanya, Irina, and Kate."

I gave a nod. I wasn't in the mood for small talk. At that moment, all I wanted was an icepack, some Tylenol, and a hot bath. The woman, Carmen, handed me some pills and a glass of water. I took them, but never removed my eyes from her. I didn't care if they were friends of Edward's. I didn't trust any of them. After a few minutes of sitting in awkward silence, Edward suggested that I take a bath and get cleaned up. As much as I didn't want to get naked in a house full of vamps, I couldn't resist the lure of a hot bath.

Half an hour later, I was clean. Throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt, I grabbed my knife and tucked it inside the sheath that was on my belt. I didn't care what Eddie said. I felt safer having at least one weapon on me, even if said weapon was pretty much useless against vamps.

I headed down the stairs and found that the group hadn't moved. As a matter of fact, they were as still as statues, and I find it unnerving.

"How are you feeling?" Carmen asked as I inched into the room.

"Fine," I said despite the fact that I still ached all over. But at least I wasn't bleeding any more.

"We were just talking about the nomads you're searching for," she told me quietly.

I swung my gaze over to Edward and shot him a glare. The last thing I wanted was every fucking vampire knowing that I was hunting a group of them. _Jesus! _ Why not just put out a fucking bulletin?

"They needed to know in case James and his friends come this way," he explained.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I continued to glare at him. He glared right back, not giving an inch. I refused to look away first. Of course, he probably didn't need to blink, but I held out for as long as I could. Letting out a huff, I told him that I didn't want to advertise to the whole fucking world that I was looking for three specific vampires.

"I'm not advertising it to the whole fucking world! I'm letting my friends and extended family know! If James and his friends show up, they can call us and let us know. You need all the help you can get little girl, so perhaps you should be more grateful!" he snarled at me.

Grudgingly, I admitted to myself that he might be right. I needed all the help I could get, but I wasn't about to let him know that.

"We'll keep an eye out for them," Carmen was saying. "There was a red-head around this area last year. It might or might not be the same one you're looking for."

"Did she have curly red hair?"

Carmen nodded. "Yes. She called herself Victoria. I remember her scent. Tomorrow we'll head out into the woods and see if we can't track her. Could be she'll come back."

I hated to admit it, but I liked Carmen. She seemed nice, and almost human. Plus she was willingly giving me information and offering to help, and I didn't get a sense of deceit from her. However, the three other women in the room set me on edge. The blond, Tanya, I think, was staring at Edward as if he was something to eat. I don't know why that bothered me. It wasn't like he meant anything to me. Hell, I didn't even know him. Sure, he was good-looking, but so what? I wouldn't— I couldn't, allow myself to fall for him. I'd probably have to kill him in the end anyway.

* * *

The next few days was spent scouring the woods with Carmen, Edward, and Eleazar. Carmen had tracked down the red-head's scent to an old abandoned hunting cabin. It didn't look like anyone had been there in a while, and Carmen confirmed my thoughts. She told me that the scent that lingered there was old.

On the way back to the house, Edward got a phone call. He was talking so low and so fast that I couldn't catch anything he said. He hung up the phone and turned to face me.

"James is hiding outside of Fairbanks."

That was all the information I needed. "Let's go."

"It's not quite that simple, little girl. What do you think will happen when James catches your scent? He's going to know you're the girl he attacked in Florida. He'll come after you," Edward said.

I hadn't thought to use myself as bait, but it could definitely work. "That's a great idea! We can draw him out by using me as bait. Once he comes after me, you can tear him apart. It's brilliant!"

The look on Edward's face said it was anything but brilliant. He reached over and grasped my upper arms, shaking me. "Are you a fucking idiot? Do you have a death wish? What if his friends are with him? I can't take protect you and take out three of them. I can't lose you!" he shouted.

I yanked myself out of his grasp, wincing at the bruises that were beginning to form. I didn't understand why he was so upset. It's not like we were friends or anything.

"What's your problem? Why does my life matter so much to you? I've known going into this that I might die, and it's a chance I'm willing to take."

"Well, it's not one I'm willing to take. Until we know he's alone, we're not going."

I was so confused. I noticed that he hadn't answered my question, so I asked him again why it mattered if I died.

"It just does!" he roared at me before stomping away.

"So does that mean you're not going to help me?" I hollered out.

He stopped and turned around. "Not until we know for sure he's alone! I'll send Tanya and Irina to scout around. Once we know for sure, we'll go after him."

_Oh, right._ Like I was going to go along with that plan. Please. Those two would probably tip him off and then he'd be gone, and I'd be back at square one. Screw that. I made a plan of my own later that night.

I'd noticed that Eleazar kept his car keys in a bowl in the kitchen. When I went in there to get something to eat, I palmed them. I waited until Edward and his friends went to hunt before packing my stuff and heading out.

"Going somewhere?" a voice asked from the dark, causing me to jump.

I turned around and found Tanya staring at me.

"Yeah, I am. Problem with that?"

"Nope," she said as she headed back inside.

I unlocked the car door and climbed in, hoping that it wasn't super loud. It wasn't. Just as I put the car into drive, there was a knock on the window. I saw Tanya standing there, so I unrolled the window.

"What?"

"Take these. You'll need them," she said, handing me a wad of cash and a map. Guess she was in a hurry for me to be gone. "You need to leave now or else they'll catch you."

I nodded my thanks and took off. I got lost several times, but finally about four hours later I arrived in Fairbanks. I got a room at a sleazy looking motel outside of town and then drove into town and booked a room at a nicer hotel. I figured since James could smell me, then the others could to. Might as well leave my scent everywhere. I pulled into the parking lot of a local cafe and ordered some food.

As I was sitting there eating, I spotted a flash of red hair out the window. Keeping my face down, I peeked out and saw someone who looked remarkably like the red-head who had attacked my friends. When the waitress came over to fill up my cup, I asked her if she'd seen anyone fitting Victoria's or James' descriptions. She said she hadn't. I looked back out the window, but didn't see Victoria anymore. What I did see was a very pissed off Edward stalking toward the cafe. _Fuck!_ I'd though I'd have more time before he found me. Leaving some money on the table, I told my waitress that my ex-boyfriend was following me, and that he was waiting outside. I asked if I could go out the back entrance, and she readily agreed.

I slipped out the back and hid behind the dumpster; peering around it to see if Edward was nearby. I didn't see him, so I quietly moved away.

"Going somewhere?"

* * *

a/n: Poor Bella. She really needs to work on her stealthing skills.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I do own Draw Something. If you want to play, look me up. User name is zimphella.

A/N: Good thing I didn't waste time outlining this chapter because it soooo didn't go as planned. Why would it? I have two very strong minded characters that refused to do what I wanted. Oh, well. Such is life. As always, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Lately, I've sucked at responding back to reviews, but do know that they are read and much appreciated. You're getting this a day early since I'm out of town this weekend. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

"**I can't help being a gorgeous fiend. It's just the card I drew." ~Lestat**

* * *

"Away from you," was my brilliant response.

"You do know that that isn't possible, right? We can smell you, hear you, and see you from afar. You can't escape us," he said.

Asshole was ruining my plan, and I wasn't happy about that.

"Why don't you go away? I've got some murderers to catch," I snarled at him.

He popped up in front of me causing me to jump.

"You won't get very far without my help, little girl. And since I had to come after you, lest you get yourself killed, James will be fully aware that other vampires are in the area. He's probably long gone by now."

I was pissed. If he'd just stayed away, I would have been well on my way to catching James.

"This is all your fucking fault! I would have caught up to him if you hadn't interfered," I spat out.

"You'd be dead if I hadn't interfered, and you know it. Face it, little girl. You can't do this without me, and now thanks to your foolishness we've lost our lead. From now on, I'm calling the shots," he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

I was momentarily distracted by the way the muscles moved under his skin. His arms looked so sexy with all that muscle flexing, and he was fucking—_stop! Stop, Bella. Don't go there. He's one of them, no matter how gorgeous he is_, I told myself.

"Hold the fuck up! What do you mean you're calling the shots?" I asked as it registered what he'd said.

Leaning down so that I could smell his sweet breath as he spoke, he said, "I'm. Calling. The. Shots. You don't have the first clue as to what you're doing or what you're up against. I do. That's why I am now in charge of this operation."

I opened my mouth to argue, but never got the chance. Hard, firm lips pressed against mine, stopping my entire thought process. I felt intoxicated. Drunk on his presence. The kiss was unlike any kiss I'd ever had, and I couldn't contain the moan that rose from my throat. Slowly, his lips pulled away, and I was left standing there, dazzled. There was no other word for it. In that moment, he could have asked anything of me, and I would have done it.

I took a step back, taking a deep breath, and trying to clear my head.

"Why did you do that?" I asked him, taking in his cocky smirk.

"Why not? You might be annoying, and not have much common sense, but you're quite beautiful."

I raised an eyebrow. Did he think compliments were going to work on me? "I think that you're trying to distract me, hoping that I'll forget that you're taking over my 'operation' as you call it."

He shrugged unapologetically. "Maybe. But face it, little girl. I know way more about vampires that you do. You need me."

_Fuck it! _He was right. I did need him. In more ways than one, the little voice in my head snickered. "I refuse to relinquish full control, but you're right. I need your help. I just hope that you aren't fucking with me."

"Believe me, if I was fucking you, you'd know it. I'd make sure you'd never forget it. The things I can do to you-"

"I didn't say fucking me! I said fucking _with_ me. Don't do it. I will find a way to kill you, even if I have to hire another vamp to do the job for me," I warned him.

He let out a snicker, but held his hands up in surrender. "I promise you, I really do want to help. I want James dead."

"What exactly did he do to piss you off so much?" I asked as we started walking.

He shook his head, and a look of sadness crossed over his face. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but didn't dare.

"He destroyed someone I cared very much about," he said.

I nodded. I understood that. We walked for a few more minutes, and I realized that Edward was leading us toward the edge of the forest.

"James was in this area," he said, pointing ahead into the dark woods.

I followed closely behind Edward as he walked further into the trees. It was eerie how quiet and still it was. Edward held up a hand indicating for me to stay put. I stopped where I was, trying to figure out what he saw or heard that I couldn't. A few seconds later, Edward was standing in front of me.

"He was here. I wonder why he came by himself?"

"Maybe he was scouting out the area?" I suggested.

"Maybe," but he sounded doubtful.

Just then his phone rang, scaring the shit out of me. Flashing me a smirk, he answered the phone and walked a few feet away from me. Not like I could have eavesdropped if I wanted to. He talked too quietly and too fast for me to catch most of what was being said. Moments later he stalked over and thrust his phone into my hand.

"My sister wants to talk to you," he snarled.

I stood there looking at the phone in my hand. _Why did she want to talk to me? _ Slowly, I put the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"You have to let Edward help," she said, not even bothering to say hello. "If you don't, you'll be killed. I've seen it."

"You've seen it?" I asked slowly.

"Yes."

"So, if I don't let him help, I die?"

"Well," she hedged. "You're going to die either way, but if he helps, you won't be completely dead."

_Huh?_ "Explain."

She let out a huff. "Regardless of which decision you make, you're going to die. But if you let Edward help you, he'll be able to turn you after you've been attacked."

_What?_ Was she saying that I was going to become one of them? _Oh, hell no!_ I'd rather kill myself first.

"Bella!" Alice shouted in my ear. "Listen to me! The only way you're going to be able to kill them is if you're a vampire. You need Edward for that. If not you'll just die and then James and his friends will destroy Edward and our family. I've seen it!"

I barely even heard her. I was still focused on the whole becoming a vampire thing. I didn't notice when Edward took the phone from me, hanging it up.

"I don't want to become a monster," I whispered, looking at Edward in horror.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck! She had no right to tell you that. Now, you're going to run off on your own."

"Doesn't matter, does it? Either way I die. I mean, I always knew that I probably would die, but hearing someone else confirm it, quite unsettling."

"Shit, shit, shit!" I heard him mumbling.

I sat down on the hard ground, my mind repeating Alice's words over and over. I had two choices. Die and allow James and his friends to destroy Edward and his family, or die and allow Edward to turn me to save us. But if I took option two, then I would become one of the monsters that I hunted. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. I mean, really. It should have been a no brainer. Why should I care what happens to Edward and his family? He was my enemy, sort of.

_Because you like him. You care for him and don't want to see him hurt_, the little voice in my head said. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I didn't want to like him, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. I was going to have a choice to make and both options sucked.

"What are the chances that your sister is wrong?" I asked in a slightly trembling voice.

"She's very rarely ever wrong."

"But there's still a chance she could be."

He knelt down in front of me and lifted my chin up with a finger. "Bella, you had to know that walking away alive from this wasn't really an option. Didn't you?"

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"I'll do everything I can to keep you alive, but chances are good that you will die. The choice you'll need to make is whether or not you want to become one of us."

Pushing him away from me, I stood up and began walking back toward the town. I couldn't deal with any of it at the moment. Edward walked quietly behind me, placing a hand on my lower back to steer me in the direction of the car. I felt numb. I handed over the keys when we got to the car. There was no way I would be able to drive right in my current condition.

After we'd been in the car for about twenty minutes, a thought came to me.

"How did you know where I went?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out. It made sense that you'd attempt to go after James on your own. What I don't understand is how you left without me noticing."

"Uh, your friend, Tanya. She gave me some money and a map. Told me she'd hold you at bay. Obviously, that didn't work."

His face darkened. "I should've known Tanya was behind this."

"She wasn't behind anything. It was my idea to go. She caught me as I was trying to leave."

He let out a low growl that caused funny things to happen to my insides. "She was supposed to be watching you; not aiding your escape."

"I don't need a babysitter!" I shouted at him.

He raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me. "Oh, really? Because wandering into James' open arms was such a brilliant plan."

"I had a plan, and it would've worked if you hadn't shown up and ruined it!"

He jerked the car toward the side of the road, threw it in park, and turned to face me. His eyes were almost black, and his face had a fierce edge to it. "You'd probably be dead right now if I hadn't shown up! But maybe that was your plan all along. Is this just a suicide mission for you?"

I shook my head, pressing myself as close to the door as I could. Fear was rippling across my skin.

"Maybe that's what this is all about. You don't have the guts to kill yourself, so you're going to get someone else to do it for you. Suicide by vampire. If that's the case, I can kill you right now. You'd never stand a chance against me. Is that what you want? Is it?" he yelled at me.

I was shaking so hard, I could hardly catch my breath. "Nnno," I managed to stammer out, feeling tears starting to well up in my eyes.

He sat back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath. "I apologize. That was uncalled for. I—just … there's something about you. You drive me crazy."

I had no idea how to respond to that, so I didn't. I turned my gaze out the window while I tried to steady my heartbeat. It was flying.

"Bella? Please look at me."

I turned and met his gaze. "I'm sorry I scared you so much, but you need to realize that this isn't a game. If you still want to go after them, you'll need to listen to me from now on. I mean it. If you're not going to, then this ends now."

"I'll listen," I said quietly, because he was right. I'd just taken off with no real plan, no real idea what I was doing. It was a miracle I hadn't managed to get myself killed already.

Edward nodded, then pulled the car back onto the road. After a few minutes he spoke again.

"Alice told me that your dad is frantic with worry. It might be a good idea to give him a call and let him know that you're okay."

_Oh, God._ I hadn't even given any thoughts to Charlie recently. I took the phone that Edward handed me and quickly dialed Charlie's number.

"Chief Swan."

"Hi, Dad."

"Bella! Oh, thank God! Please tell me you're okay!"

I closed my eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. He sounded so distraught, and it was all my fault.

"I'm okay. I promise. I'm sorry I left like that. I just needed to get away from—everything."

"I wish you had talked to me before leaving without a word. You've had your mother and I frantic with worry," he said sounding haggard.

"I'm so sorry! I really am. I just need some time to myself," I said, hoping that he'd understand.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Alaska," I told him.

"And you're okay?"

"Yeah. I just need some time alone. I'll be home soon," I lied, praying that it was true.

"Okay. I know that you're an adult, but I want you to promise that you'll call me once a week. I mean it! And if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. I felt so horrible. I was so caught up in my personal vendetta that I'd failed to pay attention to the fact that I was hurting those around me. After promising to call once a week, I hung up the phone, and wiped away the tears that had fallen. I handed Edward back his phone and stared at the window until we pulled up to the house.

We got out, and I slowly walked into the house and into the bathroom. Once there, I locked the door, sat down on the floor and let it all come out. All the tears, the anger, the fear, the frustration. By the time I'd calmed down my hands were bruised from beating them against the floor. I'd thrown anything I could get my hands on which resulted in the bathroom being a mess. I couldn't even bring myself to care that I had broken someone else's stuff.

"Bella?" I heard Edward ask through the door. "Can I come in please?"

I didn't have the energy to move so I told him sure. Moments later the door opened. Edward crouched down in front of me, holding a slightly crushed doorknob in his hand. It was just one more testament as to how strong vampires were and how weak I was.

"You don't have to do this. If you choose to go home, I'll drive you there myself."

"No. I need to do this," I told him.

"Okay. Take a shower, freshen up a bit, and then we've got to go. We've got a lead."

I nodded, and with his help, stood up. I watched as he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Twenty minutes later, I was ready to go. We said goodbye to the Denali's and climbed into the newly repaired Volvo. Neither of us felt the need to talk, and it wasn't until we'd been on the road for a couple of hours that I finally asked where we were going.

"A private airfield. There's a plane waiting for us."

Well, that wasn't the answer I'd been expecting. "Where are we flying to?"

"London."

"Wait. We're flying to London on a tiny plane? Is that even possible?"

He spared me a glance. "It's a private jet that the family owns. We'll be fine."

"Why are we going to London?"

"Alice saw James breaking into the Tower of London," he told me.

"Why would he do that?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm sure there's a reason behind it."

"Are you sure he's not just thinking about doing that so that he leads us on a false trail. You said the he probably knew that you were in the area, so wouldn't that make sense?"

He gave me a look. "Yeah, we've thought of that, and yes. It is a possibility, but we still need to go check it out. Unless of course, you don't want to go."

I looked at him like he was an idiot. "Of course I want to go. We need to catch him. Plus, I've never been to London before."

"Well, I'll try and let you do a bit of sightseeing while we're there, but only after we've figured out what James is up to."

Looking at him, I wondered what he was up to. He was being awfully nice, and it made me think that he had some kind of ulterior motive. So I asked him.

"I just want you to experience London. That's all," he said. "And I feel bad about yelling at you and frightening you."

_Aha!_ So that was the real reason, or so he said it was. I didn't completely trust him. Not yet, but I wanted to. _No, you just want to jump him,_ that annoying voice in my head said. I chose to ignore it. Besides, even if I did want to jump him, I sure as hell wouldn't.

"Why not?"

I was startled out of my thoughts. "Why not what?"

"Why wouldn't you jump me?" he asked with a cocky grin.

I could only stare at him in horror. _How the fuck did he know what I was thinking? _ And then a sickening thought crossed my mind. If his sister had super powers, chances were he did too. _Oh, fuck!_

* * *

a/n: Yeah, so ... I so didn't plan on Edward making a move, but he couldn't help it. As always, let me know if you loved it, hated it, thought it was mediocre.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do own more chapstick than a normal person should. I swear I'm not addicted.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. They're greatly appreciated. Not much to say in this A/N, so I'm gonna let you get straight to reading.

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

**"The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him." Garrett Fort**

* * *

"What?" he asked. "Is the thought of jumping me that appalling?"

"How?" I managed to get out.

"How what?"

I just stared at him, horror written all over my face.

"I can kind of read your mind," he said, almost sheepishly.

My face flushed red, and I hoped to hell he hadn't heard the dirty thoughts I'd had about him. And then I remembered he could hear what I was thinking, so I tried to make my mind blank. Easier said than done.

"Guess I should've mentioned that, huh?"

I gave him an incredulous look. "You think? This is so fucking embarrassing!" I screeched.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed. I've seen and heard it all."

If that was supposed to reassure me, it didn't. I started to wonder what else he'd kept from me. I mean keeping the fact that you can read someone's mind was a huge fucking deal. How would he have felt if I had some big secret that I didn't tell him about and then he suddenly found out?

"I'd be pissed," he said.

I turned to glare at him. "Would you stop doing that? Reading my mind without permission is an invasion of privacy! I happen to be a very private person, and I don't want you in my head."

"Well, it's not like I can turn it off. Do you think that I enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts? I don't. I do what I can to tune people out, but I can't ever not hear them."

I hadn't thought of that. It would be horrible never being able to turn it off. I guess being able to read minds was more of a curse than a blessing.

"It is."

I reached over and smacked his arm. "Would you stop that, please?"

"Sorry. My friends and family are used to me just answering their questions."

"Well, it bugs me. If I want a question answered, then I'll ask it. Okay?"

He nodded.

Several hours later, we pulled up to a small airstrip. There was a private plane waiting for us, just like he'd said there would be. Grabbing my bags, he led me up the steps to the plane, and I soon found myself seated in a cushy leather seat.

I was plied with food and drink before the plane even began take off. Not too much later we were airborne. Edward told me to get comfortable and sleep if I could since it was roughly an eighteen hour flight. I blanched when I heard that. Eighteen hours was a long time to be in a plane, even a posh one. I slept for a good ten hours before my bladder woke me up.

"Uh, Edward? There is a bathroom on this plane, right? I mean I know you don't have to use it, but there is one, right?"

He let out a snicker and informed that indeed there was a bathroom and told me where it was. I got out of my seat and found it, gasping as I walked in. The bathroom on the plane was practically bigger than my house back home. Okay, so that was a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.

After I was done in the bathroom, I walked around the plane a bit. Unlike Edward, I couldn't remain still as a statue for hours. As I was walking back to my seat, the plane hit a bout of turbulence, and I went flying. Edward caught me before I face-planted on the floor of the plane. That would have been embarrassing.

"You okay?" he asked me, holding my arms gently.

"I'm fine," I told him, wanting him to let go of me and yet, not wanting him to let go.

The turbulence made up my mind for me. The plane pitched again causing me to slip onto Edward's lap where he held me tight.

"Maybe you should stay right here until the weather calms down," he suggested.

I knew that I should say no, but my mind was yelling yes. He was so fucking hot, but he was vampire, and I needed to remember that. I was pretty sure he wasn't the enemy any more, but he couldn't be more than my friend. I couldn't afford any distractions on my mission, and Edward Cullen was a huge distraction. How could he not be? He was stunningly beautiful, smart, decent enough. Did I mention he was beautiful? Yeah.

"Men are not beautiful," he scoffed.

Blushing, I turned to look at his face. "What did I tell you?"

"Sorry, but I couldn't help but comment on that thought. If anyone here is beautiful, it's you."

My face was on fire, and I ducked behind my curtain of hair. His hand pushed my hair behind my ear, and he cupped my face, tilting it toward him.

"I'm not lying, Bella. You truly are beautiful."

"Sure, sure. I think you're just trying to dazzle me."

"Why would I do that?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't want to be nor can I afford to be dazzled by you. We have a mission; a job to do, and we can't afford to be distracted," I told him.

His face darkened as I brought up our mission. "You're right. We need to catch James as quickly as possible."

I nodded. "And his friends, if they're with him. If not, we'll have to find out where they are. I refuse to let them go unpunished for what they did."

Sitting back his seat, he focused his intense gaze on me. "What exactly happened to you? I mean I know that James bit you, but what all happened?"

So I told him. I told him how my friends and I had gone hiking and had been enjoying ourselves. Then my friends had spotted the three nomads and invited them to join us, not knowing what they were.

"I don't remember much after that. I remember my friends' screams and seeing James coming toward me. After that, I woke up in the hospital."

He hugged me to him, cradling me in his arms. "I'm so sorry that you went through that. I promise you right here and now that we will catch and destroy them."

I thanked him then moved out of his lap. His lap was too comfortable, and I could easily imagine myself staying there forever.

We spent the next eight hours talking and planning the best course of action. We landed at a field strip outside of London where a private car was waiting to take us somewhere.

"The family has a house in the countryside. That's where we'll stay while we're here," he replied to my unanswered question.

I was a bit irked, but kept quiet as I got in the car. Half an hour later, we were driving down a dirt driveway, and I couldn't contain my gasp as the house came into view. It was stunning and looked ancient.

"How old is this house?" I asked.

"It was built around 1700 or so. It was once part of a much larger estate that has since been sold off or torn down," he explained.

He led me into the house where I gawked at every nook and craney. I'd never been in a place so old before, and it was liking stepping back and time. Edward showed me the bedroom I was staying in and told me that the furniture was original for the most part. Very little had been done to modernize the house, but thankfully, it had been updated with electricity and indoor plumbing.

I slept the day and night away, not realizing how tired I truly was. Chasing after vamps was hard work, especially for someone who had no idea what they were truly doing. After I'd woke up, showered, and dressed, I headed down the stairs toward the kitchen area. Edward had informed me that he'd had the kitchen stocked so that I'd have something to eat.

I found my way into the dining room with a bowl of cereal and found Edward sitting at the table, a blue print in front of him.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A blue print of the Tower of London."

"I didn't think that they'd have a blue print for that."

He smirked, causing my insides to quiver. "They don't. Carlisle's been there before, and he drew up the plans and sent them here after Alice saw us coming."

Us coming. Those were the only words my mind could focus on which led to a wonderful vision of us in throes of passion.

"Oh, little girl, you have no idea how much I want to see come," he said, ripping me out of my daydream.

I let out a squeak of mortification, having been so caught up in my thoughts that I'd forgotten that he could read my mind. My face was on fire as I buried it in my hands.

Strong hands wrapped around my wrists, pulling them away from my face.

"Hey. Don't hide from me. I love that you want me."

I rolled my eyes at his cockiness. "I'm sure that you do, _but_," I stressed, "nothing is going to happen."

"For now. As soon as all of this business with James is over, well—game on," he said, giving me a wicked grin.

_Oh, my._ Shaking my head to clear away the naughty thoughts that were starting to form, I sat down beside him to look at the blueprint.

"I figured we could play tourist. Once we're in the tower, I'll be able to tell if James has been there."

Even though I knew we were going to be hunting a dangerous criminal, I couldn't help but feel a little bit of excitement at touring the tower. We decided that we'd leave early the next day so that we could arrive as soon as it opened.

At nine the following morning, we were standing in line to get our tickets. I was surprised at how many other people were there. After Edward paid for our tickets we were led into the White Tower where a tour guide proceeded to show us around. Pulling me to the side, Edward whispered in my ear that he didn't smell James. All that meant, was that he hadn't arrived yet.

As the tour guide led us into the Jewel House where the held the Crown Jewels, Edward's phone vibrated. He pulled it out and read the text before putting the phone back in his pocket.

"Alice sees James coming to the tower tonight."

I frowned. "What's he planning?"

"To steal the jewels," he said.

My mouth dropped open. "But why?"

Edward shrugged. "No clue, but in order to steal them he'll have to kill the Yeomen Warders who guard them, and we can't let that happen."

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"I'll have to come back after they've locked up for the night and find a place to hide," he told me quietly.

"What's this I business? Aren't we in this together?"

"Bella," he said with a sigh. "It'll be far easier for me to get in here and stay silent than it would be for you."

"You said we were in this together!" I hissed, angry that he was trying to leave me out.

"We are, but—"

"No buts! Either we're in this together or we aren't. Which is it, Edward?"

"Together," he said with a sigh. "But you have to promise to do what I say. Promise me, Bella!" he said, grabbing my arms.

"I promise," I told him, meaning every word.

We killed the rest of the morning playing tourist before hitting up a pub for lunch. I ordered fish and chips to eat with a pint of beer. It seemed the British thing to do. After lunch, we walked along the Thames and talking and getting to know one another.

It was almost like being on a date, you know, if you forgot the whole vampire hunting thing. I learned that Edward played the piano and his favorite color was brown. Seemed an odd choice in color to me, but hey, whatever. There was one thing that I desperately wanted to know though, and that was when and how he'd been changed.

We sat down on a bench overlooking the river, near the London Bridge.

"Will you tell me about your change?" I asked.

"It was 1918. I was seventeen and dying from Spanish influenza. Carlisle was working as a doctor at the hospital, and my mother begged him to save him."

_Whoa._ "Dude, you're old. Like really old."

"I'm not old. Carlisle is old. He's like over three hundred years old. I'm only a hundred and eleven."

"Compared to my nineteen years, yeah, you're old. But I can't imagine the stuff you've seen."

We sat around killing time, and I listened to him talk about all the life changes he'd seen. It was fascinating to hear about history from a personal perspective. I'd begun to learn that there was more to Edward than I'd first thought. He wasn't the bad guy or the enemy that I'd first thought he was. He was an ally and quickly becoming a friend, if not something more.

At four-thirty, we headed back to the tower and bought a couple of more tickets. Nobody questioned why we were going on the tour again, but then again, they saw so many people a day that they probably didn't recognize us. The tower would close at five-thirty, and Edward had found a spot for us to hide. It would be far easier for him than mine, but I was determined not to make him regret bringing me.

At five-fifteen, we crept away from the group toward the armory area. There were many hiding places in such an old tower, and Edward quickly tucked us into one of the old, unused hidden passages.

I wasn't sure how long we waited there, but it felt like forever. And then Edward stiffened beside me.

"He's here," he whispered in my ear.

Terror swept over me, and I couldn't control the trembles that wracked my body. Edward pulled me tighter, whispering in my ear to calm me.

"It's time," he said.

I nodded, knowing that what we were about to do could kill one or both of us.

* * *

a/n: Now, we're getting somewhere. As always, I appreciate any feedback you send my way.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I do own a new laptop. The backspace button fell off the old one. Perhaps, I used it a bit too much.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter to you. I was on vacation in Minocqua, WI and writing was the last thing on my mind. I'd meant to let you all know in my last A/N but totally forgot. My bad. And I would've posted this earlier, but I was busy catching up with work and fixing crap that the person who was covering for me fucked up.

* * *

**Bella Swan,Vampire Hunter**

"**Vampires are immortal, you can do whatever you want, and get away with it. And there's the seduction part of course, sex is a big part of the vampire thing." ~Johnny Lee Miller**

* * *

When Edward had said it was time, sweat broke over my brow. I was terrified, but I knew that we had to do it. We had to draw James out and take him down. Of course, there were several problems with us doing that. Vampires had a keen sense of smell, so I knew without a doubt that James could smell us.

"I'm counting on that," Edward said so quietly in my ear, that I had to strain to hear him.

_What? He wanted James to find us?_

Edward nodded. He mouthed the words stay put, and then he was gone. Why the fuck had I begged him to let me help him? I was beyond terrified and knew that the frantic thumping of my heart could be heard.

"Well, well. What have we here?" I heard James ask in a whisper from somewhere near me.

I'd gotten my wish. Edward was using me as bait, and it was more terrifying than I'd thought it would be.

"God, you smell so good. And listen to that heartbeat. Do you taste as good as you smell?" he asked, having come close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck.

Goosebumps erupted across my skin, and my heart doubled its frantic beating. I felt a finger run across my skin, and I couldn't contain the shudder of revulsion that came over me. I knew it was only a matter of minutes until James realized who I was.

"You fear is tantalizing," he murmured as he slid his hands down my arms.

Where the fuck was Edward? And the minute I thought it, Edward made his presence known.

"Hello, James," Edward said from across the room.

I couldn't contain the sigh of relief that spilled from my lips. I was safe. Well, as safe as one could be when in a room with two vampires. One of whom was more than interested in killing you.

"Cullen," James sneered, letting go of me.

The minute his hands were off of me, I quickly moved away. Sadly, I didn't get very far. James reached out and snatched my wrist in an iron grip, causing me to wince.

"Did you bring me a snack?" he asked Edward as his grip tightened.

Edward moved closer, and I saw him shrug. "You can have her if you want. She means nothing to me."

That stung. I knew he was saying it for James' benefit, but the words hurt nonetheless.

"Really?" James asked as he dragged me toward Edward.

His hand was slowly crushing the bones in my wrist, causing them to grind together, and a whimper left my lips. I knew that trying to pull away was useless, but it was taking everything in me not to try and run.

"Really," Edward replied, barely sparing me a glance.

James' fingers tightened yet again and then he stopped. "What's this?" he asked as he pulled my wrist toward his face.

My heart, once again, went into overdrive as he brought my wrist closer to those deadly fangs. His fingers stroked the scar that his fangs had left all those months ago.

"I knew you smelled familiar. Didn't I kill you?" he asked me.

I said nothing. It was a stupid question. I mean, really? Wasn't it kind of obvious that I wasn't dead?

James let out a delighted laugh. "Apparently, I didn't. Well, I'll make sure that I do this time. We had such a good time with you and your little friends."

I couldn't control the growl that escaped me.

"You were a feisty one. It's going to be such a pleasure to drain you."

"You can certainly try, but you failed the first time. What makes you think you can succeed this time?" I snarled.

"Because," he said, leaning in close. "I'll for your jugular this time. Make no mistake, you'll be dead soon, but first I need to deal with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend. I don't even know him."

James let out another laugh. "I can smell the lie coming off of you."

"Whatever," was my genius reply.

The fear had started to abate while anger and sarcasm were taking its place.

Still keeping a hold on me, James turned to face Edward, who was standing there inspecting his fingernails. It was almost too ridiculous.

"Want to explain to me what you want, Cullen? I don't have all night, you know."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Surely, you haven't forgotten what you did?"

"Of course not. I must admit, I took great pleasure in destroying her."

Edward let loose with a feral growl. He was beyond pissed. I had no idea who the she that James referred to was, but she had obviously been very important to Edward.

"There was no reason for you to kill her! She'd done nothing to you!"

"She was with you. That's all the reasoning I needed. You fucking Cullens think you're so perfect, acting like your better than the rest of us."

And that was when Edward made his move. All I saw was a blur move across the floor. James tossed me to the side, and I went flying. I let out a shout of pain as I smashed into a stone wall and then darkness took over.

* * *

"Bella! Bella! Please wake up," I heard a velvet voice beg.

Slowly, painfully, I opened my eyes and found a beautiful angel leaning over me. I raised my hand toward his face, allowing my fingers to ghost over his cheek. His cold hand cupped my hand gently as he pulled it away.

"Where do you hurt?" he asked.

I frowned, puzzling over his question, trying to figure out if I hurt or not. And then I felt it. Searing pain everywhere. The minute I noticed the pain, it all came rushing in, and I let out a moan. Oh, I fucking hurt.

"Everywhere," I whispered.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt," he told me, anguish in his voice.

"It's okay," I mumbled.

He shook his head. "No, it's not. I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I failed you just like I failed Le-" he broke off.

"Not your fault. James' fault. Did you get him?"

Again, Edward shook his head. "You were my first priority. God, Bella. Seeing him throw you against the wall terrified me. He knew that I'd go after you, allowing him to escape."

"You should've gone after him."

"And leave you here?" he asked, incredulously. "I couldn't do that. Now, let me examine you. I need to determine if anything's broken. It'll be a miracle if nothing is. You hit the wall awfully hard."

As he knelt beside me to examine me, his phone rang.

"What?" he barked. He listened for a few minutes before speaking extremely quietly. I looked at him questionably after he hung up.

"Alice. She apologizes for not seeing what James was going to do until it was too late."

"Not her fault. Or yours. Please, don't blame yourself."

He nodded, but I could see he didn't believe me. Great, I could only imagine what it was going to be like dealing with him from then on.

I laid still on the floor as he resumed his examine. He poked and prodded me, causing me to cry out in pain a few times, and I did my best to hold the tears in. But when he touched a particular sore spot on my back, I let loose with a cry.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he lifted the back of my shirt. I heard him suck in a breath and knew that it must be bad.

"Can you feel your legs?" he asked me softly.

"Yeah."

I heard him blow out a breath. "That's good. Okay, take a deep breath. I'm going to move you."

Doing as he said, I took a deep breath, but it didn't help. The minute he moved me, the pain worsened.

I was now cradled on his lap as his hands ran up and down my body, checking to see if anything was broken. Having broken many bones in the past, I was pretty sure that nothing was broken, but it didn't hurt to have him double check. That, and I didn't mind his hands running over my body.

"Nothing looks broken," he murmured. "But you're badly bruised, scraped, and cut. We need to get you back to the hotel so I can take care of the wounds before they get infected."

"No hospital?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Too many questions. I have a medical degree if it makes you feel any better."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I've done med school twice."

"Why aren't you a doctor?" I asked as he stood up, holding me carefully.

"It's not for me. I didn't love it the way Carlisle does. You need to be quiet, I've got to sneak us out of here," he said.

I did my best to remain quiet as he snuck past the guards in a flash. He moved so fast that I could feel myself becoming sick, so I closed my eyes. In no time at all, we arrived at the hotel, and Edward was unlocking the door to our room.

He set me down gently on the bed, then left, telling me he was going to go get a first aid kit. I just laid there. Moving, hell even breathing was painful. Not too much later, Edward returned, sitting down beside me on the bed.

"I need to remove your shirt so I can clean the cuts," he told me.

I didn't mind, although I sure wished he was removing my shirt for a whole other reason.

"Oh, my Bella, we'll get to that, but let's get you better first."

_Crap._ Forgot about the whole mind reading thing.

I sat propped up against him as he carefully removed my shirt. I let out a hiss of pain as he ran his fingers across my back.

"Lie down on your stomach so I can clean these," he said as his fingers once again brushed over the scrapes and bruises.

Slowly, I pulled myself off his lap and laid down, wincing with every movement. I felt sure fingers unhooking my bra and trembled as he pulled the straps down and off my arms. Turning my head to the side, I watched as he opened a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and poured some of onto cotton balls.

"This is going to sting," he warned.

Oh, I knew. Peroxide and I were old friends.

Edward let out a small snicker. "Old friends, huh?"

"Yeah. I used to be clumsy as hell, always tripping over air and ending up bruised, scraped, or broken," I said before breaking off as he began to clean the cuts.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Moments later, I felt cool breath blowing on the cuts. My insides were melting. Edward acted all tough and hard, but underneath he was sweetheart.

"I don't act anything. I am tough. As for being hard, well, that's a given since I met you."

I couldn't even be annoyed that he'd once again read my mind without permission. All I could focus on was that he wanted me.

"And once you're better, we'll do something about this mutual attraction. Until then, you need to behave."

Easier said than done.

Ten minutes later, my cuts and scrapes had been cleaned and bandaged. I'd been fed some Tylenol and had slipped my shirt back on forgoing the bra. Edward had strategically placed several bags of ice along my back to help with the swelling and bruising, but they kept sliding off.

"Bella, you have to stay still," Edward told me as one of the bags of ice slid off.

"I'm trying," I whined.

Lying down next to me on the bed, Edward pulled me into his arms, resting his cold hands on my back. His hands felt better than any ice pack could.

"Would you mind just holding me like this?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Not at all," he replied before dropping a kiss onto my hair.

It took everything I had not to melt at his words and actions. He was far too sweet. Edward let out a huff, but pulled me closer, soothing my bruises with his hands.

I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to sleep after everything that had happened, but I was wrong. Within moments of being wrapped in Edward's arms, I felt my eyes beginning to close.

I was woken up the following morning by the ringing of a phone. I felt Edward move and heard him talking quietly. Slowly, I opened my eyes, wincing at the pain that I felt when I began to move.

Edward hung up the phone and helped me sit up.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Sore," I admitted. "Who was on the phone?"

"Alice."

"Was it about James?"

He nodded. "She seems him hanging around London for a few more days."

"So I guess we're staying."

He let out a sigh. "I have half a mind to send you home or to the Denalis, but I have a feeling you wouldn't go willingly."

I scowled. "You got that right, mister. I knew going into this that getting hurt was more than likely. And your sister has already foreseen my death. I'm not going to stop, Edward. James and his friends need to be punished."

I watched as Edward ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the strands. I wanted nothing more than to reach up and do the same, but I kept my hands to myself.

"I know. I agree that James and his friends need to be punished, but this is going to be harder than I thought. James realizes that you mean something to me, and I'm afraid he's going to use you to get to me. He's done it once before."

"Who was she, Edward?"

He let out a sigh before speaking. "Her name was Leah," he began.

* * *

A/n: a bit of action in this chapter, although not _that _kind of action. We'll get to that soon enough. As always, reviews are appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: So not mine.

A/N: Howdy, gang. I've totally slacked on replying to reviews, but I can't thank you all enough for reviewing. So, apparently FF is being a bitch and pulling people's stories and all kinds of good stuff, and while none of my stories have been pulled I'll also be posting over on TWCS as well as here in case something does happen. Some of my favorite writers have been pulled and it pisses me off, but I won't get into that. This chapter gave me so much freaking trouble. I rewrote it several times, but in the end, it was it is.

On a side note, Camp NANWRIMO has started, and I'm busy with that as well, so updates might sometimes be late. Although, I will say that I'm 3,731 words into my story for it. So yay me!

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

**"Vampires pretending to be humans pretending to be vampires ... How avant-garde! " ANNE RICE, _Interview with the Vampire_**

* * *

"Her name was Leah," he began, and I could tell that talking about her was hard on him. I patted the bed, and he sat down near me. I took one of his hands in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I met her in 1990 when she was eighteen. She and her family lived on the LaPush reservation."

I nodded. I knew of it. It wasn't very far from Forks.

"My family hadn't lived in Forks for a long time, and we were just passing through, heading north toward Alaska. I'd been in the forests outside of La Push, hunting, when I came across her. She was ..." he trailed off.

"She was what?" I asked, curious as to what he was going to say.

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you that part. The Quileute have secrets that I can't indulge. Let's just say that they aren't completely human."

"Oh. So, Leah wasn't human, but she wasn't a vampire?"

He nodded. "She was in the woods in her other form. Her people had been taught to hunt vampires, and she came after me," he said with a little laugh. "We had one hell of a fight until I was finally able to explain to her that I didn't hunt humans."

He went quiet for a few minutes, obviously lost in the past. I kept quiet, knowing he'd talk when he was ready.

"We were supposed to be enemies, but instead we fell in love. Our relationship wrecked havoc with those around us. Her people saw our love as a betrayal to the tribe. My family tried to be supportive, but they were skeptical about our relationship. Wondering if perhaps she was using me to gather information about us. We left Washington and found a home in Canada. We got married and despite the odds, we were quite happy."

"What happened to change that?" I asked.

He gave a short bark of harsh laughter. "Some of the tribe considered her a traitor and set out to find her. Along the way, they encountered James. He destroyed them but only after he learned what they were doing. You see, James had been apart of our coven at one point, but he'd refused to change his diet so Carlisle sent him on his way. As a result, James carried a vendetta against our family."

"And when he found out that you were married to Leah, he sought you out?"

Edward's hand gripped mine and his breathing sped up. All I could do was offer comfort.

"Yeah. He showed up at our cabin while I was out hunting."

"Didn't Alice see him coming?"

He shook his head. "No. Alice couldn't see me when I was with Leah."

"Because of what she was?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "Yes. I was far enough away from the cabin that I didn't smell James when he arrived, but I felt that something was wrong. I ran back as fast as I could, but I was too late. James had ripped her apart. He was kneeling beside her body as he lapped up her blood," he snarled, his free hand gripping his hair.

I let out a gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.

"I lost my mind. I flew into a rage and went after him with everything I had, but he has a gift for evasion. I had two choices at that point. Go after him, or stay and be with Leah. I choose Leah. Her kind can heal quickly but not when torn apart. I cradled her in my arms and held her as she died."

Tears fell from my eyes, and I knelt on the bed, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He buried his face in my hair, holding me tight. I was a bit uncomfortable, but I wasn't going to complain. He needed comfort, and I could at least offer him that.

After a few moments, he let go, wiping the tears from my face.

"I was lost after that. I just sort of—I guess, wandered would be the right word. I had no goal, no ambition. I contemplated going to the Volturi and ending it all."

"The Volturi?"

"The rulers of our kind. We have certain rules that we must abide by. The main one being, that humans can't know about us."

"Well, shit. Guess I'm in trouble, huh?"

He gave me a small smile. "As long as they don't find out, you'll be fine."

"Won't James tell them?" I asked.

Edward let out a snort. "He won't go near Volturi. He's broken too many rules. They'd kill him on the spot."

"Oh. So, you were going to go there and do what?"

"Show myself to the public forcing the Volturi to kill me."

"What stopped you?"

"Esme. She'd lost her son in her human life, and the thought of losing another one would have destroyed her. In the end, I went back home."

"But you weren't there when I was," I commented.

"No, I wasn't. I'd grown restless the past couple of years and had been living on my own. After your visit, Alice called me and told me that you were going to need my help. She wasn't very specific about what."

"Well, I must say that I'm glad that you came along to help me out. I know I was ungrateful in the beginning, but you were right. I do need your help."

* * *

By the time I was healed enough to move without pain, James had left London. Edward had gone looking for him several times but had come up empty handed. Although, James had left nasty little notes at all the places that he'd been. Notes that taunted Edward. James was playing a nasty game, and I was afraid that Edward was going to fall for it and get himself killed.

Alice called us a few days after James had left London, letting us know that James had decided to meet up with some friends at an old manor in the English countryside.

"So even though James lived with you guys, he didn't know about your ability to read minds and Alice's ability to see the future?"

Edward shook his head. "We never trusted him enough to tell him."

Unfortunately for us, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of old manors in the English countryside.

"Isn't there any way to narrow it down?" Edward asked Alice.

I couldn't hear her reply but whatever she said seemed to set Edward at ease.

"We'll stay until you arrive," he said before hanging up.

"They're coming here?" I asked.

"Yes."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I trusted Edward, but I didn't know his family. I wasn't so sure I could trust them.

"You can," Edward told me, "but I realize that you'll have to decide that for yourself. They're catching a flight out tonight. They'll meet us here as soon as they arrive."

"Why are they coming?"

"Alice saw that if the two of us go after them, then we'll both die. With the family's help, only—" he broke off.

"Only I'll die," I finished for him.

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head. We both knew it was going to happen and now I knew when. I expected to feel more upset, more terrified. But in a way, knowing when I was going to die was almost a relief. I would have time to say my goodbyes.

"You don't have to do this. You could forget it all and go home," Edward said, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

"I can't do that. You know I can't."

"I know. I'm just sorry you have to loose your life."

I shrugged. Since that day, my life hadn't been that great. "The biggest issue I'm going to have is dealing with Charlie and Renee. If possible, I'd like them to think I died in an accident of some sort. I don't want them to wonder what happened to me."

Reaching out, Edward pulled me into his lap, cradling me. "Then that's what we will do. We'll work it all out when the family arrives."

"Does changing hurt?" I asked, because honestly, I think it had to.

"It burns like a motherfucker. For three days, you'll burn and when you awake, you'll be one of us. You'll be stronger than most, but your thirst for blood can drive you mad. You'll have to be kept away from humans for the first three years or so."

I hadn't even thought about that. I hoped that I didn't hurt anyone.

"We won't let you," he assured me.

The next morning we were rudely awakened by a pounding on the door.

"Eddie! Let me in!" a male voice boomed.

I sat up, startled from a deep sleep.

"Quiet, Emmett! Bella's sleeping," I heard him say as the door opened.

"Dude! You got a girl in there with you? Way to go, Ed!"

"Shut up, Emmett!" came a chorus of voices.

I threw the covers over my head, not ready to deal with them. I must have fallen back asleep because Edward woke me up a bit later. He told me to get up, showered and dressed. After doing all of those things, I met him back in the room where we then headed down to the lobby.

There waiting for us was his entire family. I was nervous and uneasy and then I felt a wave of calm hit me. I narrowed my eyes at the blond guy. The bullshit of messing with my emotions was going to end right then and there.

"Jasper. Lay off," Edward said quietly.

Almost immediately, the calm left me and I was back to feeling normal. Edward introduced me to everyone, despite the fact that I'd already met them. I gave them all a nod and was a bit taken back when Esme gave me a warm hug. I certainly hadn't been overly kind to her the last time I met her, so the hug was unexpected.

After I'd gotten something to eat, we checked out of the hotel and drove to Oxford where the Cullens had a house. House wasn't quite the term I would have used for. It was a bloody mansion. There had to be a hundred rooms in the damned place.

"Not quite. I believe that there's only twenty," Edward said with a smirk as we got out of the car.

Awed, I followed him up the stairs and into the house. The others were waiting in the sitting room when we walked in. After excusing myself for a human moment, I headed back to the room.

Alice sat up straight, folding her hands in her lap. "We've gotten James listed as a wanted criminal, and we sent out his picture to all of the smaller communities. Hopefully, we'll get a hit. Other than that, I've seen him in the company of two other people. Victoria and Laurent are their names."

"They're the ones who were with him when they attacked my friends and I."

Esme reached over and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "They'll pay for what they did to you. We promise. You don't have to do this."

"Edward said the same thing, but that's where you're wrong. I have to do this. I need to. Please understand that. I know the risks involved, and I'm willing to take them."

"Has Edward explained what happens when you are changed?" Carlisle asked me.

"Yes."

He nodded. "Okay. Let's start figuring out a plan to take down James."

* * *

a/n: Leave me a review. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: S.M. owns it all

A/N: Thanks to everyone that reads and especially to those that review. It's nice to get feedback on this story. I know I've been horrible at responding to reviews, but just know that each and every single one is appreciated. I even appreciate the bad ones. With that being said, if you're going to hate, and you're more than entitled to, just have the balls to sign your name to it. Okay, rant done.

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

**"There's nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what'll happen to you. Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor." Michelle Mead, _Frostbite_**

* * *

Hour after hour was spent discussing and arguing over a plan to capture James. It got to the point where I just tuned it all out. I was tired and hungry, and getting quite cranky. The group of vampires that surrounded me seemed to have forgotten that they had a human in their midst. Eventually, my stomach let out a ferocious growl alerting them to the fact that I was still there.

"Oh, my goodness, Bella! We forgot to feed you!" Esme cried out.

"It's okay," I mumbled despite the fact that I was starving.

Forty minutes later, I was fed and the fridge was stocked. I found myself once more, curled up on the end of the couch while the family discussed theplan. Apparently, while I was eating they had formulated and agreed on the right course of action.

"What exactly is the plan?" I asked.

Fourteen sets of eyes all turned to me, and it was a bit unnerving. Edward scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, obviously not pleased with whatever the plan was.

"I've seen James heading back to London. He'll be in the area near Kings Cross for the next few days. The plan will be for you to be there as well, Bella."

"But want that look a bit obvious?" I asked.

"No. You're going to need to act upset, angry, pissed off at Edward. James will see you as vulnerable and prime for the taking."

"But won't he smell you nearby?"

Alice shook her head. "No. Your scent is intoxicating to him. He'll only be thinking of you and how to get you alone and kill you. Once he's got you, we'll be right there."

I nodded, scared out of my mind but knowing that I would do whatever it took to get him.

Two days later I was sitting on a bench outside of Kings Cross crying and cursing Edward's name. I wasn't much of an actress, so I took the feelings that I had for James and his despicable friends and channeled that. Of course, I ended up more angry than upset.

However, it seemed to be working. People were avoiding me, looking at me with sympathy or shooting me nervous glances as if I might just explode at any moment. Standing up, I began to walk around like I was agitated. I felt a tingling on my wrist and knew that James was near. I didn't want to give myself away so I did what I could to keep the fear at bay. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I made myself focus instead on the anger I felt toward James.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" I heard him whisper in my ear.

I about jumped a foot in the air. I'd known he was near but hadn't realized how close he was. I whirled around and found him staring at me with a malicious grin on his face.

"Where's your precious Edward?" he asked.

I gave James my best glare. "Gone," I spat out, letting rage and anger fill me.

"Aw, did Edward get tired of his little human pet?" he mocked as he ran a finger down my arm.

I fought back a shiver even as my heart rate sped up.

"Such a pity to let a delectable woman go to waste," he purred in my ear as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and started to steer me toward the street.

I dug my heels in, struggling against him.

"Don't fight me! Don't cause a scene or I'll make sure to make your death as painful as possible. Understood?"

Swallowing, I nodded and let him lead me toward a car that was parked on the street. As we approached the car, I saw a flash of red hair in the backseat. _Victoria_. This time I didn't even try to stop the fear that raced through me. Alice hadn't mentioned that Victoria was going to be there.

"Do you remember Vicki? She was there that afternoon as well as Laurent, the man sitting next to her. Climb on in, pet. We've got things to do," he told me, opening the front passenger door for me.

I quickly looked around to see if I could spot any of the Cullens, but I didn't see them. Slowly, I got in the car making sure to stay as close to the door as I could.

"Who's this?" Victoria spat out as soon as James was in the car.

"Edward's little pet. Funnily enough, I killed her in Florida."

"What's she doing here?" Laurent asked in a thick accent.

James turned around and gave him a smile. "We're going to have a bit of fun with her. She says Cullens done with her, but it'll still hurt him when we kill her."

I didn't speak the whole car ride. I couldn't have even if I wanted to. Victoria and Laurent hadn't factored into our plan, although we should have anticipated it. I had no idea what was going to happen, but it couldn't be good.

An hour later, the car came to a stop in front of an old country manor. The passenger side door opened, and Victoria dragged me out, causing me to wince in pain at her tight grip on my wrist. She tossed me to the ground, laughing as I fell.

Wincing, I stumbled to my feet and shot her a dirty look. _Fucking bitch. _The minute I was standing, James gripped my elbow and started leading me into the house. I knew that if I went into the house, I wasn't coming back out alive. I just hoped that Edward and the others were nearby and would save me from dying completely.

Once inside, James tossed me on the only piece of furniture in the room; an old couch. Seconds later, James bent over me, running his nose along my throat.

"Your smell is intoxicating," he groaned before he pulled back and picked up my wrist.

Holding it tightly in his hand, he ran his fingers over the scar before bringing it to his mouth and licking it.

I watched as his mouth opened, and I could see his fangs. I closed my eyes and turned my head.

"Uh uh. Open your eyes. I want you to watch as we feast up on your life," he said, tapping the side of my face.

I refused to obey him. If he wanted my eyes open, he'd have to force them open. I wasn't going to watch him kill me.

I felt the first sting of pain as his fangs pierced my skin and then I heard the door slam open. The next few moments were chaos. Growls and whispered words were exchanged, and I found myself being tossed onto the floor.

I laid there on my side in a state of semi-consciousness. I watched as bodies moved in a blur, and I heard screams of pain. Then a horrible keening sound filled the air and it wasn't until someone cradled me in their arms, that I realized the sound was coming from me.

"Shhh, Bella. It's going to be okay," a woman whispered in my ear.

"God fucking dammit!" a voice boomed out, but I was unable to focus on who was talking.

The pain became too intense, and I found myself floating into darkness. It was a horrible darkness. Empty and lifeless, the only sound was my beating heart. And then the pain came. Far worse than it had been. It consumed me, ate me alive. Screams came pouring out of my threat, and eventually, my heart began to speed up.

"Not long now," a soft voice said from nearby.

"She's going to be stunning," another voice said.

"She always was," growled a male voice.

The voices quieted until all I could hear was the sound of the my heart beat racing towards its death. Then the beating stopped.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, finding myself disoriented. I saw a movement off to my right and immediately I found myself crouched in the corner on the defense.

"Bella? It's okay. No one is going to hurt you," a familiar velvet voice said.

I stood up and found the person the voice belonged to. It took a minute before it came to me. Edward.

I launched myself at him before I even realized what I was doing and we crashed to the floor with a loud bang.

"Oh, my God. Are you okay?" I asked, inspecting his head for bruises or cuts.

He let out a laugh that sent tingles down my spine. "I'm fine. The question is, how are you?"

I stopped to think about it. My mind was racing a million miles an hour. I could hear everything, I could see in a whole new way, and there was a horrible burning in my throat.

"My throat burns, and I feel all kinds of weird."

"That's because your thirsty. Once you've hunted, you'll feel better," Jasper said from across the room.

I nodded, then turned to look at he man still lying beneath me. I'd thought he was beautiful before, but now? Now, he was sheer perfection.

"Want to let me up?" he asked me.

_Not really. _I stood up and held out a hand to help him.

He flashed me a smirk and that was when I remembered that he could read what I was thinking.

"And don't you forget it."

I rolled my eyes and turned to face the rest of the room. Alice, Esme, Emmett and Carlisle all had big smiles on their faces. I guess I hadn't turned out too bad.

"Hardly. You're even more beautiful if possible," Edward said.

Jasper looked concerned and Rosalie. She just looked angry, shooting me a hostile glare.

I shot one back. I was breakable anymore, and I could take her if I needed to. Maybe. Possibly.

"C'mon. Let's go get you fed," Edward said, taking my hand and leading me down the stairs.

Moments later we were running through the forest surrounding the manor. It was so freeing to be able to run and not worry about tripping and hurting myself. I heard Edward chuckle at my thought before he brought me to stop.

"Smell that?"

I took a sniff and smelt warm blood. Edward pointed out a heard of deer not far from us.

"It's all instinct. Just go for it."

So I did. I ran faster than I'd ever run before and tackled the unsuspecting creature to the ground. My fangs bit into its jugular and warm, pulsating blood ran down my throat. Tossing it to the side, I went after another and another, until I had taken down four deer. Finally, I felt sated.

"Not bad for a newbie," Edward said with a grin.

_Yeah, right._ I looked down at myself in disgust. I had blood stains all over my clothes. My shirt was ripped and my pants torn around the knees. I looked like I'd been in a fight and lost.

"You'll get better at it. Just takes practice," Edward told me with a grin.

We started to head back to the house when the most wonderful smell assaulted my senses. It was mouthwatering, and I started toward it.

"Bella! No!" Edward yelled behind me as I took off toward it.

He caught up to me and grabbed my arm, but I threw him off. I was stronger than he was and had no problem tossing him to the side. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to that scent.

I headed across the lawn and down the road, hell-bent on my journey. Strong arms reached out grabbed me, yanking me off the ground.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

"Help me, dammit! She's too strong for me," I heard Edward holler.

A set of hands grabbed my feet, and I was lifted off the ground despite all my struggling.

"No!" I moaned. "Let me go. I need it!"

"Listen to me, Bella. Listen to me. If you kill an innocent person, you'll never forgive yourself. Trust me. You're strong than this. Fight through it," Edward said in my ear.

Once inside the house, the smell lessened and they finally let go of me. I was ashamed at how I had reacted. I could have killed someone!

"But you didn't," Edward said, giving me a hug.

"But I might. What happens if you're not there next time?"

"Someone will always be with you, Bella."

"How long is it like this?"

Jasper knelt down in front of me. "For the first three years or so."

My eyes about bugged out of my head. "Seriously? Three years?"

"Give or take," he said.

I didn't want to feel like this for the next three years. I'd had some thought that once I was vampire that was it. I hadn't thought about how hard it would be.

"We'll be with you the whole way," Edward assured me.

I nodded and then a thought occurred to me. "What happened to James?" I asked.

* * *

A/n: Yes, I'm leaving it there. As always your reviews are greatly appreciated! Have a great weekend!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! We've got about 6 chapters left before this is done, and then I'm taking a small break from writing.

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

**"Vampires can live a very long time, theoretically forever, which means their idea of getting down to business can be damn leisurely." Laurell K. Hamilton, _Obsidian Butterfly_**

* * *

I heard Edward take a deep breath. "James got away as did Victoria. However, we did get the other one."

"His name was Laurent," Alice chimed in.

_Was?_

"He's been destroyed," Edward informed me. "We gathered what information we could out of him."

"What did you learn?"

Carlisle let out an almost defeated sigh. "Sadly, not much. James never trusted Laurent, therefore he never really told him any information. Laurent did tell us that James and Victoria are mated, and that James has gone off the deep end."

"Meaning what?" I asked.

"Meaning that James is a loose cannon. His decisions are all over the place. He did tell Laurent that he wants to destroy all humans. Started talking about how vampires are the master race and crap like that," Alice told me.

"So, what? He's planning on killing all humans?"

"Not by himself. He and Victoria are going to create an army of vampires."

Horror swept through me. They couldn't be allowed to go through with their plan.

"We have to stop them!"

A wave of calm came over me, and I shot Jasper a glare.

"You need to calm down, Bella. Your emotions are all over the place and you could easily cause damage to the house or to us."

I let out a huff, knowing that he was right. I did feel all over the place. I wanted to hunt James and Victoria down and tear their limbs off. The fact that I actually could do that now wasn't beyond me.

"We're doing what we can to track down James and Victoria. We want to stop them as much as you do," Carlisle assured me.

Then I had a thought. "What about the vampire police? The Volturi?"

"We don't want to involve them if we don't have to," Carlisle said.

"Why not?"

They shot each other looks that I couldn't interpret. Finally, Carlisle turned to me.

"I served with the Volturi many years ago, but I wasn't keen to their ways. Their leader, Aro has a special interest in our family."

"Why?"

"Because Alice, Edward, and Jasper are gifted. It's rare in vampire as it is in humans. Aro is a collector and for years, he's been trying to get them to join his guard. I'm afraid if we alert Aro right now, it will make things worse."

"It will," Alice said with a nod.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked because doing nothing was not an option.

"We wait until James or Victoria makes a firm decision."

The next week dragged by insanely slow. It was so strange not having to sleep, and I was at a loss as to what to do to fill the time. Edward did his best to keep me busy. We hunted on a daily basis until I was able to hunt and not ruin my clothes.

I read every book in Carlisle's library and then some. I spent hours talking to Carlisle about the Volturi and hours discussing strategy and the Civil War with Jasper. By the end of the week, I'd learned everyone's history and how they'd come to be vampires.

The following Friday, just when I thought for sure I would go mad, Alice called a family meeting.

"James and Victoria have made the decision to start their army in Seattle."

"Why there?" Emmett asked.

"Probably because it's close to us," Edward said. "There's nothing that James would like more than to kill hundreds of innocents on our doorstep."

That made sense. James knew how much the Cullens hated spilling human blood, so it would be the perfect revenge as far as James was concerned.

"We'll be leaving in an hour so get packed. We'll formulate a plan on the way there," Alice said.

An hour and a half later, we were flying across the Atlantic. I felt like a caged animal, and it was taking everything in me not to tear the plane apart. The pilot smelled so good, and I wanted nothing more than to rip his throat open. I let out a growl as Edward wrapped his arms around me, trying to hold me down.

"Hold your breath," he told me.

I looked at him like he was nuts. "You don't need to breath. Just hold your breath, and I promise it will make things better."

"Do as he says, Bella," Jasper told me as he hit me with a wave of calm.

I did as they said, and I felt the thirst subside a bit. My hands were clenched on the armrest of the seat, and I felt it give way underneath my fingers. Edward's hand reached down and pried my hand open.

"Easy, babe. Let's not destroy the plane if we don't have to."

A long twelve hours later, we arrived at a private landing strip outside of Seattle. I was immediately ushered into a car that was waiting for us. The first thing I did once we arrived at the Cullen house in Forks, was hunt. I took down five deer before I began to feel under control.

"Feel better?" a velvet voice asked from nearby.

I turned and found Edward leaning against a tree.

"A bit, yeah."

"Good. You did really well, Bella."

I scoffed at that. Puh-lease. I'd been so close to killing the pilot, it hadn't been funny. The only that had kept me from doing so was that I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me. I could have thrown Edward's arms off of me at any given time.

"I know you could have and that's why I'm so proud of you. Come here."

I ran to him and threw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. He felt so warm and he smelled delicious. I couldn't resist tasting a bit of his skin, so I lightly ran my tongue up the side of his neck.

"Bella!" he said in a strangled voice. "God, babe!"

And then his lips crushed themselves to mine. It was a hot passionate kiss that sent tingles running through my body. I couldn't get enough of him. I pulled him in closer, my fingers delving into his hair as my lips parted under his.

Suddenly, I found myself on my back on the forest floor with Edward hovering over me, his thighs between mine.

I let out a moan as I felt his hardness press against me. I'd never been more turned on in my life. Our kisses had become almost desperate as if neither of us could get enough of one another.

"I can't get enough of you. You're like my own personal brand of heroin," he told me between kisses.

I held back a snort. It was a totally corny line, yet incredibly sweet at the same time.

"Edward! Bella! Family meeting!" Esme called from the house.

Reluctantly, we untangled ourselves and made our way inside. I knew that at some point we'd need to have a talk about our relationship, if we even had one.

"We do. We're mated, Bella. Can't you feel the connection?" he asked as we ran back.

I nodded, not really understanding what he meant by mated.

"We'll discuss it later," he promised.

Back at the house, the mood was somber.

"It's started," Alice told us. "As of two hours ago, twelve people have been reported missing in the Seattle area."

"Well they certainly didn't waste any time getting started, did they?" Emmett commented.

"We'll need to put a stop to it before the army grows any larger. Our biggest problem is going to be competing with their newborn strength."

"Can't I help? I'm a newborn after all."

Carlisle looked at me. "Jasper and Emmett will start training you as soon as we're done. We need you to be able to defend yourself."

"Why can't Edward train me?" I asked.

Jasper was the one who answered. "He'd be too soft on you and chances are he'd distract you. I am going to need you to give me your undivided attention. You will be our best defense against the newborns."

All of a sudden, Alice let out a gasp. Her eyes were glazed over and it was incredibly eerie.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella," was all she said.

_Well, what the fuck did that mean? _ "What about me?"

A moment later, a brilliant smile graced her face. "You've got a talent! It's just a little slow in coming out."

"So what is it?" I asked, curious to know.

Alice shrugged. "I'm not one hundred percent sure yet. It'll come out as Jasper and Emmett train you."

* * *

I'd been training not stop for two days, and while I couldn't actually get exhausted, I felt it. I'd learned hand to hand combat and the art of dodging. However, my talent had yet to come out, and I was getting a bit frustrated.

"I can't tell you when exactly, but it'll be soon," Alice told me after I asked for the millionth time.

I let out a huff and stalked back to where Jasper and Emmett were waiting for me. They had one more test for me before I was allowed to take a break. I had no idea what the test was, but I was more than ready for it to be over.

I was halfway to them when Edward came into the clearing and Emmett attacked him. I saw red. _How dare he?_

Edward did his best to dodge Emmett and while he was quicker, Emmett was stronger. I felt something shoot out of me and I saw Emmett fly backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"What the fuck!" he exclaimed as he lay on his back.

I felt whatever it was surround Edward, protecting him in an almost like bubble. Jasper made a move toward Edward, but he couldn't touch him. No one was going to touch my Edward and that was that.

It wasn't until a hand placed itself on my shoulder, that I realized that I was shaking.

"Bella, sweetheart. You need to calm down. Edward is fine," Carlisle told me.

"I won't let anyone hurt him," I growled out.

"We know that, Bella. No one is trying to hurt him. I need you to take a deep breath and focus on letting Edward go."

I closed my eyes and focused on the imaginary bubble surrounding Edward. It took a few tries, but I finally released it. Edward came walking toward us, Emmett following him, and he wrapped me up in a hug.

"That was amazing!" he exclaimed as he swung me around and planted a kiss on my lips.

"Holy shit, Bells! That fucking rocked! What the hell did you do?"

I had no idea, but thankfully Carlisle did.

"I believe that Bella is a shield."

"A what?" I asked, staring at him.

"A shield. You have the ability to protect those around you by using some kind of force field, I believe. What was it that caused your shield to emerge?" he asked me.

I sat down on the ground and gazed out into the woods.

"Emmett attacked Edward and it was as if this rage welled up and consumed me. I thought about how I couldn't allow him to be hurt and then bam! This thing, for lack of a better word, came flying out of me and knocked Emmett off his feet. I—I just felt the need to protect Edward."

Everyone seemed pleased, but Jasper seemed downright giddy.

"You're the key to winning all of this, Bella. I don't mean to put any extra pressure on you, I'm just saying that with you, we have a huge advantage."

If the newborns has been turned two days ago, then they would awaken tomorrow and the war would begin. A war that I never imagined fighting. Sure, I'd imagined fighting off James and his friends, but not a miniature army. Things had taken a far drastic change than I ever thought possible.

"It'll be okay, Bella," Edward told me.

I wanted to believe him so badly, but I couldn't help but think of all the things that could go wrong. Twelve innocent lives had already been taken. How many more would there be if we couldn't stop them?

"We will stop them," Edward growled. "For now, we need to focus on our strategy. Tomorrow it all begins."

* * *

a/n: Let me know what you thought!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Twilight.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading and for those who reviewed. It's greatly appreciated. I apologize for posting this later than normal. I've been sick the past week and writing was the last thing on my mind.

* * *

**Bella Swan, Vampire Hunter**

* * *

As dawn broke over the gray sky, I paced nervously around the house. It was the day of reckoning, doomsday, whatever you wanted to call it. No matter how much I'd trained, I wasn't ready for what was about to happen.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back toward a hard chest.

"We'll be okay," he said softly in my ear.

I wished that I could believe him, but I couldn't.

"You don't know that for sure," I said quietly.

"I have to believe that."

Turning in his arms, I wrapped my arms around his neck and stared into his warm amber eyes.

"We'll make it through this, Bella. We will!" he said, fiercely.

I nodded, not wanting to argue with him. He saw the doubt in my eyes and did his best to rid me of it, by pressing his lips to mine. We got lost in the passionate kisses that we placed upon each others lips.

"Guys," Jasper called softly. "It's time."

I held onto Edward tightly for a moment before letting go.

"I love you," I told him, realizing at that moment just how much I truly did love him. It seemed way too fast, but at the same time it felt completely right.

He traced a finger down my cheek before placing a kiss on my lips once more.

"I love you, too and once this over, we'll sit down and have a discussion about mates and whatnot."

My eyes flew to his. "Does that have something to do with how I feel about you?"

"A bit," he said before planting yet another kiss on my lips.

"Guys!" Jasper called more urgently.

Reluctantly, we parted and met up with the rest of the family at the back of the house.

"James and Victoria are coming with the newborns," Alice said in an eerie voice. "They'll be here in three minutes and twenty-seven seconds."

Taking a deep yet unneeded breath, I focused on lowering my shield around us. I felt it the second it covered everyone.

"Bella, sweetheart, I'm going to need you to life your shield off of me," Edward told me.

"What! Why?"

"I need to be able to hear them."

I hadn't realized that my shield would cut off his ability. I worried my bottom lip as I realized that he would be unprotected.

"I'll be okay," he swore, but I wasn't so sure.

"Here they come," Jasper said as James and Victoria broke through the tree line. I could hear the restless sounds of others behind them.

"Cullens," James sneered before his eyes landed on me. "My, my. What a beautiful vampire you make, Isabella."

I snarled as a wave of rage swept through me. If I got my hands on the bastard, I'd rip his limbs right off.

Victoria gave me a glare tinged with jealousy. I had no idea what that was about it, but now wasn't the time to focus on it.

"The time has come for the Cullen clan to die!" James yelled, and a collective roar rang out through the trees.

Carlisle stepped forward and I made sure to keep my shield on him.

"I don't understand your hatred of our family, James. We took you in and offered you a place amongst us, provided that you change your feeding habits. You knew coming into our family that we didn't drink human blood and that in order to stay, you'd have to follow our way of life. You chose not to."

Carlisle's words only seemed to enrage James.

"There you go again acting all high and mighty! You think you're so much fucking better than the rest of us, but you're not! It's time to put an end to the Cullens!"

And again, roars of agreement echoed throughout the woods. Almost in unison, fourteen bodies stepped through the tree line, eyes glowing red in the dusky morning.

I watched as Edward and Jasper scanned each one before giving me a look. Immediately, I wrapped my shield around them.

"They're terrified," Jasper said quietly as Edward nodded in agreement, "and out of control."

Carlisle, ever the peacemaker, was attempting to reason with James who was having none of it. James shook his head in anger at whatever Carlisle had said and then turned to Victoria. She was standing there looking cocky and confident. Bitch had no idea what was coming.

She gave a signal and the fourteen vampires started forward. Some of them it seemed were itching for a fight, while others looked confused, lost, and scared. Those were the ones Jasper told us we needed to take out first. The ones who were loose cannons could do a lot of damage.

I was startled out of my observations when a young male pounced at us but bounced off my shield. He hit the ground with a thud, causing the ground to shake, and a bewildered look on his face.

Getting up, he tried and failed again before turning to James and Victoria, who both had identical puzzled looks on their faces.

"You said it would be easy to take them!" the young man hollered.

Victoria pushed passed him and started toward us. Now, I was beginning to have a bit fun. I could stand there all day holding my shield, but I knew that we needed to separate and take them out.

Emmett made the first move, leaving the bubble that I'd encompassed us in. I was more than a bit relieved when my shield moved with him yet still stayed on everyone else.

Apparently, Victoria hadn't been prepared for Emmett to attack her so she was caught off guard. Seconds later, Rose joined him and together they tore her apart, leaving James and his army stunned. I was a bit stunned myself. I hadn't realized how easily we could die.

James let out a scream and launched himself at Edward and started a chain reaction. As soon as the newborns saw James attack, they too, attacked. It was chaos. Bodies were flying here and there, and I was doing my best to make sure everyone was shielded.

Unfortunately, I'd let the shield on myself down. I was slammed to the ground as a young woman landed on top of me. Feeling my own newborn blood lust kick in combined with my fear for Edward's safety, I tore at her.

I threw her off of me before pouncing on her and slamming my fist in her face. She howled as granite met granite, but I didn't stop. I laid into her, fury and rage welling up through my veins until I eventually ripped her arm off and then the other. I was content to leave her like that. I mean really? What could she do without her arms? But Emmett had other ideas and took off her head, throwing it into a nearby pile that consisted of various vampires and their body parts.

Once the girl was disposed of, my eyes quickly scanned for Edward. I found him fighting off James. I watched in horror as James tore off one of Edward's arms. _My shield! _My shield had been let down when the girl had attacked me.

Jasper sent a wave of calm my wave, allowing me to focus long enough to wrap my shield around Edward. James' next attempt to get at Edward failed and I let out a sigh of relief. Then the anger came, and I directed it at James. Not quite knowing what I was doing, I reached my shield out and used it to throw James into a tree where he was then pinned.

Edward and Emmett tore at him, slowly pulling him to pieces as the newborns watched in terror. Once James was done the remaining newborns seemed to give up the fight. Carlisle rounded up the four that were left and gave them a choice. They could choose a vegetarian lifestyle or they could die. Sadly, they chose death.

As Rosalie and Jasper were destroying the rest, I ran to Edward. I was terrified that he was broken beyond repair, but Carlisle and Edward both assured me that Edward's arm could be put back on.

"I'm fine, love," he told me.

I felt absolutely awful that allowed harm to come to him, and I knew that if I could cry I would've been sobbing.

Sitting up, Edward wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to him. He rocked me gently as Carlisle reattached his arm.

"I'm so sorry," I kept saying over and over.

"Bella, it's okay. Everyone is okay. We won," Edward told me, pressing kisses to my hair.

He was right. We had won, but why didn't I feel good about it? We had succeeded in doing what I'd wanted. We'd gotten James and his friends, but twelve innocent lives had been taken in the process.

Edward pulled away and gave me a sad smile. "And that's why it feels like a hollow victory," he said.

"Yeah," I said softly, leaning against him.

Once Carlisle declared Edward fixed, we got up and stared at the burning pile. After the fire burned down, we left the clearing and headed toward a house.

"We'll go away for a few days. Just you and me. No drama, no fighting. Sound good?" Edward asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

As we walked into the house, I realized that I hadn't talked to my parents in quite some time. I had no idea what to say to them. I knew that they must be frantic with worry after not hearing from me, but I had no idea what to say to them. I couldn't very well come out and tell them I was a vampire.

"We'll have to stage your death," Edward told me softly.

"What?"

He traced a finger down my cheek before pulling me onto his lap as Carlisle began to explain.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but you can't ever see your parents again. We'll fake your death that way they get some sort of closure instead of wondering where you are or if you're alive."

That made sense, but it still saddened me a bit.

"Can I least call my parents one more time?"

"Of course," Carlisle said, handing me his cell phone.

I stared at it a few minutes before dialing my mother's number.

"Hey, Mom," I said when she answered.

"Bella! How are you sweetheart? How is Forks?"

We chatted for a few minutes, and I was glad to hear that she was doing good. I finally told her I had to go and that I loved her.

After hanging up with her, I knew it was time to call Charlie.

"Hello?" his gruff voice answered.

"Hey, Dad."

"Bella!" he exclaimed, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm in Canada," I lied. "I've met some great people up here, and I'm doing good."

"That's good. Just be safe and check in with me from time to time, please."

I told him I would and we talked for a few minutes more. As I hung up the phone and handed it back to Carlisle, I knew that that was probably the last time that I would talk to my parents.

Edward's arms tightened around me as I burrowed my face in his neck. I tuned out the rest of them as they discussed what impending accident I would have.

"We're going to take off," Edward said, interrupting their discussion. "I'm gonna take Bella to the cabin in Canada."

I didn't care where we went as long as it was just us. There was so much we needed to discuss and figure out. Plus, I would need the time to learn to curb my thirst.

"Great idea," Alice chimed. "Everything will work out, Bella. Don't worry."

Minutes later, we were in Edward's car headed toward the Canadian border.

* * *

A/n: So, the next chapter will be the last. My plot bunny has run away, and I honestly can't see continuing the story anymore. It saddens me, but I don't want to try and force the story nor do I want to put it on hiatus and then never get back to it.


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